Before we start, repeat after me “therapy is not to cure madness, it’s a choice”, done? Great. You have taken your very first step towards understanding the concept of therapy. The world we live in has this pre-conceived and very wrong notion that we need therapy only in case of some intense traumatic experiences or mental health disorders. In fact, therapy is a choice and a must for better life quality. It’s an exercise to unwind your mind.

Also Read: How to feed yourself well for better mental health

However, there’s still a lot to learn about how to go about therapy, especially in India. Today, on World Mental Health Day let us understand how therapy can be indispensable for better mental, physical growth and how to choose the right therapist for yourself.

Personal development

Therapy is much more than just discussing a toxic breakup or some massive loss. It can address some very simple issues like how to channelise your anger, how to stop overthinking or identify and monitor any irrational thoughts. Therapy helps you find a direction that results in overall personality development and peace of mind.

Also Read: Why sleep is important, more so since COVID

Improve relationships

Conflicts and arguments are inseparable elements of a relationship but how you handle those can make a huge difference. With the right therapist, you can build better negotiation tactics, boundary setting, patience, anger and expectation management. Plus, you also learn to express yourself better. These changes help you built better and improved realtionships.

Professional growth

The right kind of therapy helps you build better leadership, communication skills, social abilities, and learning, skills, which helps in making you a better professional. This is why all corporations make sure to provide employees with an in-house counsellor.

Also Read: Emotional Blunting: Why you can’t say what you really feel

How to choose the right therapist?

Credible referrals

It is always best to seek a therapist who has already helped someone you know. This helps in building trust and confidence in the professional. However, always seek references from credible and reliable people.

Qualification and experience

Understanding a therapist’s qualifications and experience helps you understand how long they have been in business and how they grew. 

Also Read: Parenting tip: How to help your teenaged child unwind

Check their expertise

Most therapists specialise in some key issues like depression, drugs, trauma, divorce etc. Make sure that your therapist has the experience to address the problem you are seeking help for.

Comfort zone

This is the person you are going to share some of your deep, dark secrets with, so ask yourself do I feel comfortable with this person, is this person respectable towards my problem, and whether or not it’s helping me.