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HOW THERAPY PLAYS A ROLE IN HEALING


VIVIAN BRICKER

Contributing Writer
Published: May 01, 2023

It can be a time to see how much the illness or trauma has taken away as well as
what it has given you. 

I have been going to therapy for nearly three years. I have worked with CBT,
DBT, and EMDR. Maybe you, too, have been seeing a therapist for many years or
perhaps you just started. No matter if you've been in therapy long-term or have
just begun the process, rest in the knowledge that therapy will help in your
healing. Whenever we undergo a traumatic experience, whether big or small, we
need help to heal, and therapy is a great place to start. 


THERAPY AND HEALING

Therapy can play a major role in our healing process. The therapist is able to
help us process our thoughts, talk through our troubles, obtain resources to
help us in the every day, and ultimately, help us heal. While therapy alone
cannot heal all problems, it can majorly help many of our difficulties. For many
mental health issues, there is normally a combined treatment plan of therapy and
medication. If you are having to take medication, don't be ashamed of it. I have
been on anxiety medication in the past and am still on depression medication.
There is nothing wrong with having to take medication. 

If you are thinking about going to therapy, know that it is a great starting
point for your healing. While you can't expect to be healed from your problem
over the course of a few sessions, you can expect to feel better after each
session. Once you have found the right therapist and he/she understands your
issues, you will be able to take a step in the right direction of healing. It
took a few therapists for me until I found the therapist I have now, and she has
been helping me, especially during these past few months. 




MY JOURNEY

I have been in therapy for anorexia, depression, and anxiety. Through therapy, I
have been able to find the genesis of each of these issues and see where they
started. As you work through therapy, you can find the core problem or trauma
that started the issues you are dealing with today. While understanding the why
behind the illness won't fix it, it can help you better understand the person
you were then and the person you are now. It can be a time to see how much the
illness or trauma has taken away as well as what it has given you. 

Not many of us think of our illness as giving us something, but in a way, every
mental health issue we have provides us with the opportunity for growth and
change. Ever since I started struggling with mental illness at the age of 13, I
have been a more emphatic and sympathetic person because I can understand the
pain of others. Maybe you have noticed the same in your life. You might have
been diagnosed with depression, and though it gives you times of immense sadness
and pain, you are able to relate to others' deep struggles and pain. 




YOU'RE NOT ALONE

Therapy helps you to work through your mental health and trauma in ways that
working through it on your own wouldn't help. The therapist can listen to you,
validate your feelings, and give you practical steps on what you can do to get
better. There will be much work on your behalf; however, the therapy will be
able to help that work feel not as difficult. With time, energy, and patience,
you will be able to work toward your goals and improve your mental health.

Note: therapy will help in your healing as long as you are being honest with
your therapist. It is no good to tell your therapist you are doing fine when you
aren't. Oftentimes, therapists can see through this and try to work through
whatever is bothering you even though you are not saying what the problem is.
However, it is best to tell your therapist everything that is happening and
allow yourself to be vulnerable in your feelings. Your therapist won't be
judgmental, nor will they dismiss your feelings. Instead, they will give you the
validation to process your feelings. 

Many times, you need the help of a therapist long-term. In my most recent
therapy session, my therapist told me it might take six or seven years to work
through all of my issues; however, the time taken will be worth it if it can
dramatically help me with these problems. The same goes for you. You might have
to spend many years in therapy before you can begin to work with your feelings
on your own. It doesn't mean we can't deal with our problems, but often, it
means we need help processing and working through our difficulties because
nobody has taught us how. 




THE STIGMA

Growing up in the southern United States, there wasn't much spoken about
feelings. The only feeling I saw portrayed was anger. It wasn't until I started
going to therapy that I learned anger can be a mask for extreme sadness and
depression. People can unconsciously mask their sadness and depression behind
anger because anger is a less vulnerable emotion than sadness. It is not
surprising then that many of us only ever saw anger growing up because everyone
was afraid of showing vulnerability. 

Since anger was all I knew growing up, it made me hate the emotion. I hated the
way anger could change someone into somebody they weren't, and I hated how anger
made me feel. I was always the weird child in my family, so I never tended to
express anger, but my emotions mainly manifested in the form of crying and deep
depression. Through therapy, my therapist has been able to help me understand
these emotions and know how to better work through them. 


THE SOLUTION

As you can see, therapy plays a vital role in healing. Whatever you need healing
from, therapy is a great place to start. You need to always include God as your
priority in the healing process, and He can help lead you to the right
therapist. God has given us therapists to help us in our struggles and to help
us work through our problems. We don't need to be afraid to start therapy
because of what others might think or say. 

If someone has a problem with you going to therapy, that is their problem.
Nobody should be looked down upon for going to therapy. Most people have
undergone some form of trauma, which means most people need some form of
treatment. If you are scared of what others will think or say about you going to
therapy, you can always choose not to tell anyone. Your therapist will keep
everything confidential, so there is nothing to worry about. Just remember that
there is nothing to feel ashamed about. Going to therapy shows great maturity,
humility, and the desire to heal. 

Therefore, therapy can help your healing process in many ways. It will help you
to process past and present hurts, move forward in your life, and give you the
tools you need to work through your illness on your own. Most of the time, this
will include challenging your negative thoughts and replacing them with positive
thoughts. As Christians, it can help to replace the lies from our minds with the
truth of what God says in the Bible. Through God's guidance and Christian
therapy, you will discover a fresh journey of healing and start new. 



Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

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Vivian Bricker loves Jesus, studying the Word of God, and helping others in
their walk with Christ. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master's degree in
Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Her favorite
things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and
spending time outside. When she is not writing, she is embarking on other
adventures.

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