We’ve all had friends and family members share reasons they’re not open to seeing a psychotherapist. “I don’t need to pay someone to listen to my problems.” “Therapy is a money-making business, and I can work things out on my own.” “Somehow, we got by over the years without therapy—we pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps and figured it out.”

Most of the rationale for not going to therapy stems from a preconceived notion that psychotherapy is only for “people with problems,” and they're reinforced by a lasting stigma that perpetuates a message that therapy is something to be ashamed of or kept on the down-low. The truth is that psychotherapy is a helpful tool for self-discovery.

While there are likely more to add to this list, here are five beneficial reasons therapy can benefit you.

It’s common to go about our lives with preconceived ideas of how things should be, but it’s important to have a clinical perspective for a reality check. Maybe we’ve grown up in a culture where drinking heavily is a normalized coping mechanism. Perhaps we’ve been raised in a family where secret-keeping is expected, or talking about others to others behind their backs is encouraged as a way to process interpersonal challenges. We may think our way of relating is okay. I’m only blowing off steam. I don’t want to air the family's emotional baggage, etc.

It’s important to share these potentially unhealthy patterns of relating........

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