Pros and Cons of psychotherapy

As the value of mental/emotional well-being increasingly resonates with the general public, more people are considering using therapy to work on relationship issues, resolve grief/losses/trauma, obtain emotional / inner growth, achieve ownership in important decisions, etc.

Like many of my previous clients reported, they found THEIR answer to the long-held questions that posed challenges in their lives.

Yes, they found the answer that truly belongs to them, even though it may sound like someone else’s choice or resemble one of the many options available.

For those who have experienced therapy in one way or another, they know the above list of benefits is not at all exhausted.

Hmm……Sounds good.

Well, many intelligent prospective clients may ask, “What is the catch?”

A million-dollar question, isn’t it?

Anyway, no one can get something good for nothing.

Nowadays, many therapists, however diverse their clinical training is, agree that psychotherapy / counseling is an investment into yourself.

Why?

Let’s start from financial commitment.

Fees for therapy ranges vary greatly. Copay, co-insurance, deductible and self-pay are not foreign to many who had used medical services to certain extend. Payment is expected when service is rendered. This holds true in both medical clinics and therapy offices.  

Second is your time commitment.

In order to reap the optimal benefits from psychotherapy services, weekly sessions should be held and fit into your schedule. For some cases, more than once a week may be warranted to expedite stabilization or uproot some deeply held issues/ concerns.

The last but not the least, is investment of emotional energy.

For whatever issues you are about to confront, with therapists using various approaches, emotional energy had to be gathered to sit with vulnerable feelings associated with something that had been swept under the rug.

Sadness, anger, depression, helplessness, hopelessness, jealousy, hurt, shame, guilt……the surge of these feelings can be very overwhelming at times especially certain topics were touched upon.

Without dedication to treatment on the part of clients, there is no way for even the most well-trained therapist to help create miracles.

In a sense, it is the client’s willingness to sit with discomfort in the face of emotions that makes treatment success possible.

Given the above mentioned pros and cons of therapy services, therapy is quite a bumpy ride for the client and the therapist.

So, are YOU, my client, ready for your journey in treatment?

2017©Minjun Wang, LPCC 2970  All rights reserved.