Debunking five misconceptions about psychology:

Psychotherapy is just talk-therapy

When you think about therapy, most will picture a one-to-one conversation with the patient and therapist sitting across from each other. Although that’s not how every therapy session goes, you can’t be blamed for only thinking that therapy is all about talking because popular TV shows and movies only show this side of therapy. Except for a few, the therapist is always a glasses-wearing, formally dressed, writing pad holding, excessively nodding person!

There are so many types and forms of therapy in the world. The extensive study of psychology has brought forward tons of pioneers, founders, and developers of different forms of therapy that benefit society in many ways.

Psychologists have always understood that each person is unique and thus needs unique approaches to tackle their problems. 

So, no. Talking is not everything a therapy session is. Depending on what type of therapist you go to, you will have different experiences. From more experiential methods to group sessions and practical home-works to role-playing, other therapists use a myriad of techniques to understand what the client needs.

Only those people with serious mental illness need therapy.

This age-old stigma has glued on to us like gum on our shoes. It never really goes away. There are always tiny traces of it left behind. 

Anything that gives you solace, lets you feel at peace and maybe takes your mind off of the stress a little bit, if not all, is therapeutic. 

You don’t need to have a ragging, life-threatening problem to go to therapy. People go to therapy all the time to help them deal with everyday battles. We all have our fair share of struggles that we face daily.

Not everyone who goes to therapy needs to pop pills to feel better.

People come for struggles with relationships, self-confidence, career choices, self-esteem, motivation, and so many more. 

When repressed, suppressed, and not dealt with, the minor, seemingly insignificant problems and issues are prone to manifesting themselves into more extensive issues and consuming power over you. 

Let me enlighten you with an example. If ten years ago, someone tells you that you’re dumb, the word gets engraved in your mind. You never deal with it because it was never a significant problem in your life, but every time you want to answer a question the teacher asks in class, you remember it, and it cripples you from answering the question for fear of being judged again. 

I can’t stress enough the power our mental state holds on our physical life. We think by suppressing such thoughts, we are growing, and we’re not affected by it, and yes, sometimes, it works. Or we pretend it’s helping even when it’s not. I think it’s okay that some people don’t deal with it and yet, go on to live undisturbed by it. 

More often than not, this issue comes back and manifests itself in many forms that we don’t even realize why it happens. This is where therapy comes in.

What you think might be a trivial matter could be the biggest struggle for some. So when someone comes to you for help on such issues, be open to lending them a listening ear; that could be all they need. 

You’ll never know unless you deep dive into your own self and uncover the truth. 

Psychotherapists blame your past for your present problems.

Therapists believe in “no shame, no blame.” The entire repertoire of a therapist consists of “no judgment” no matter what. 

The job exists for people to have a safe place to talk about problems without the fear of being judged or shunned. 

Contrary to popular belief, not all therapy focuses on the past. Yes, many problems can have their roots in the past, and uncovering the past truth will give you answers. There’s no denying that flipping through your book of life will undoubtedly bear the answers to some of the problems you have now. But sometimes, the answer lies in the now. 

Take Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, for example. Therapists who specialize in this form of therapy focus on the problem at hand. They do not need to know your past to understand your situation now. 

They separate the problem from the person and say that, “the problem is the problem; the person is not the problem,” and hence, there is less importance given to the problem, in a way, suggesting that the issue should not have the limelight in therapy. Instead, it is “Solution-Focused.”

You will immediately feel better after 1-2 sessions in therapy.

Therapy is not a quick fix. Unlike traditional pain killers, therapy does not have a one-stop solution to all your problems. 

They say “good things take time,” and I believe that taking your time to navigate through life, with each step, calculated in a way that benefits you, adds up to make a life for yourself that’s free from unnecessary stress.

A typical therapy session lasts 40-45 minutes, and this can be repeated 2-3 times a week, depending on your case and what your therapist deems is beneficial for you. Although, some new forms of contemporary therapy, like Brief therapy, are considerably shorter than traditional therapy. 

With that said, the beauty of therapy lies in the relationship you build with your therapist and vice versa. A healthy relationship takes time and effort from both ends; when you see this happen through days, weeks and months, it makes the relationship even more important to your mental health.

There is a fundamental importance in the building of a strong client-therapist relationship. Only if the connection is strong will you trust your therapist, be open, become more confident, and eventually allow you to accept and love yourself. 

Trusting your therapist is everything in a therapy session. And for this, you need a positive therapeutic relationship.

Therapists are there to give you clear-cut solutions to your problems.

You should never go into therapy expecting clear-cut solutions to all your problems. You can, but if you do, you’ll most probably come out of it discouraged or dissatisfied. 

The main goal of therapy is to guide you and give you the necessary tools to navigate your life correctly. Therapists are there to listen to your problems, understand how you feel, and develop coping strategies to help you find your way in life successfully.

In many ways, your therapist is the older adult in the movies, spewing wisdom, the person you meet to ask directions when you’re lost, the person that ushers you to your seats in a show; ultimately, your therapist is the one with the map. 

They first learn where you’re coming from, where you want to go, then give you the directions and all the tools you need to get there.

I once heard a saying that goes something along the lines of, “if you give credit to your therapist for feeling better, the job of the therapist is not yet complete. But if you credit yourself for getting where you are, then you have had the opportunity of finding the right therapist for you.”