Dec 20, 2020
Will Therapy Make Me Happy?
Will therapy make you happy?? Here’s the unpopular opinion — No.
*Insert gasps and pearl clutch here*
Therapy, by itself, is not enough to make anyone “happy.” Please, bear with me.
First things first, what is “happiness”? Is it a family free of conflict? A job where we feel respected? A child that listens the first time? Therapy cannot make anyone “happy” without first identifying what “happiness” means.
Second, when you enter into the therapeutic space — the reason why you are there… matters. I have had participants enter into a session because their partner, sibling, boss… told them that they had to be there. Suppose you choose to attend therapy because you accept the feedback from any one of those previously mentioned individuals. In that case, that is completely fine — however, if that is the sole reason you are there, you will leave that space feeling dissatisfied more often than not.
Finally, therapy is meant to be used as a tool to help people to reach their goals. It is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Furthermore, any number of healers facilitate therapy. It is your responsibility to find someone you believe will be best able to assist you on your journey.
So, while I do not believe that therapy will make you “happy…” I think that therapy, when engaged as an active participant, alongside a professional, with clear goals in mind… can make you better. I believe that therapy can make you wiser. I think that therapy can fill you with confidence, and I believe that therapy can help to set you free from whatever it is that binds you.
Wherever you are on your journey, I hope that this post helped you, and I would love it if you let me know more in the comments.
If you are interested in starting your own therapeutic journey, please do not hesitate to reach out to me for a free consultation.
Grace & Peace,
Tia, LCSW
