thetherapistmom1491-nbkps

When you think of therapy what do you think of? For hundreds of years, therapy has signified different things for different people. We live in a time where fortunately it has become normalized to take care of your mental health and where awareness and empathy is at the forefront of people’s lives. But we still have a lot of work to do. First and foremost it is important to define what therapy is and what it is not. I am a mental health counselor with a pre license in the state of New York. I was educated at Hunter College and even before that I studied psychology for many years. Throughout my education and training, I came to deeply respect the field because of its emphasis on science and art, the science of the brain, the science of behavior, and the art of guiding people towards becoming their better selves. That’s what therapy is.
When you come ot us, we don’t (or shouldn’t) tell you what to do and what decisions we believe that you should make. That is unethical and biased. We study theoretical frameworks and evidence based therapies as to best give you solutions, tools, and compassionate guidance. We help you better understand where your beliefs originate from and in my case, conquer fears through evidence based therapies such as Exposure and response prevention and mindfulness. Mindfulness therapies also have a biased connotation attached to it. When we discuss mindfulness, we are not talking about yoga meditation but a combination of meditative practices combined with awareness tools to better help you reconnect with yourself and the moment at hand. How do these things help? They allow someone in the throws of panic, anxiety, and depression to be one with themselves, understand the difference between their core self and the illness at hand, and allows them to make decisions based on their values and not their intrusive thoughts.

Therapy is a guidance, it is a light in the darkest tunnel. It is not a cure but it is a necessity. It is prevention, it is care, it is vital.