Is Therapy Worth It? Understanding the Benefits

Did you know that 75% of people who try therapy say that it’s beneficial? Finding the right mental health professional for you can take time. However, the benefits are almost always worth the cost, and with SonderMind’s measurement-based care, you can see results in as little as six months.

To help you decide if mental health care is the right choice for you, let's take a close look at seven of the top benefits that therapy can potentially provide.

7 reasons why therapy is worth it

The benefits of therapy can be both impactful and long-lasting, potentially improving mental health issues as well as overall wellness. Here are seven of the biggest reasons why many people feel the cost of therapy is worth it:

1. Increasing self-awareness and personal growth

Therapy can help you learn a lot about yourself. During talk therapy, people commonly make discoveries about how their mind works and who they are as a person. These discoveries can often be highly enlightening, helping increase your self-awareness.

Self-awareness is one of the biggest keys to personal growth; until you understand yourself, it's hard to know what needs to improve. This is one of several reasons why many people choose to visit a therapist even when they aren’t experiencing active mental health issues.

2. Receiving psychological support and emotional relief

Sometimes you just need someone in your corner willing to listen and provide support. Simply having someone listen to your struggles without interruption or judgment can often be a major source of emotional relief.

You can think of your therapist as one of the most reliable sources of support available. They'll be there to listen and offer advice no matter what you’re going through.

3. Developing life skills and coping mechanisms

The benefits of therapy don't end once you leave your therapist's office. In most cases, therapists will work to teach you life skills and coping mechanisms that you can benefit from long after your time in therapy is over:

• Communication skills for improving relationships
• Strategies for managing stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions
• Problem-solving skills
• Relaxation techniques

4. Improving overall quality of life

Psychotherapy can often improve your quality of life in a variety of ways. For one, different types of therapy can help treat a wide range of mental health conditions, like anxiety, depression, or PTSD.

Improving your mental health can often improve your physical health as well, as many mental health conditions can have physical symptoms like low energy and fatigue. 

Lastly, therapy can improve your overall quality of life by helping you become the best version of yourself. By growing your self-awareness, providing you with coping strategies, improving your ability to communicate with others, and numerous other benefits, therapy has the potential to help you grow into the person you've always wanted to be.

5. Strengthening and managing relationships

Mental health issues can sometimes complicate a person's relationships with others. When you prioritize improving your mental well-being with therapy, it becomes much easier to prioritize and improve your relationships as well.

Many therapists will also work to directly help you improve the relationships that are important to you. Couples therapy, for instance, is a type of therapy specifically designed to help couples solve relationship issues.

But even if you aren't seeing a couples therapist along with your partner, the communication skills and other tools you learn in therapy can still be a big help when it comes to strengthening and managing your relationships.

6. Processing trauma and navigating the grief process

Grieving the loss of a family member or other loved one can be an emotionally challenging experience. In 7–10% of cases, people who are grieving the loss of a loved one experience what is known as "complicated grief" — defined as intense feelings of grief that last longer than normal and impair a person's daily life.

Like grief, trauma can also affect your mental health and daily functioning. In both cases, therapy can be a lot of help. If you are struggling to process a traumatic experience or feelings of grief, therapy is certainly a worthwhile option to consider.

7. Achieving goals and life fulfillment

Many people have goals they hope to accomplish in life, whether in their career or personal life. However, mental health issues can often get in the way of these goals. By improving your emotional health with therapy, you can better position yourself to reach your goals.

How do I know if therapy is right for me?

In many cases, people will find the benefits of therapy to be very impactful. There are plenty of signs that therapy might be especially beneficial for you, including:   

• Emotional distress: Negative emotions can often feel overwhelming. If you frequently experience emotional distress, working with a therapist can be a great way to manage your emotions and reduce feelings of distress.
• Relationship difficulties: If relationship troubles are common for you, focusing on improving yourself via therapy can be an excellent path forward.
• Life transitions or traumatic experiences: Traumatic experiences and major life transitions are often difficult to navigate. Whatever you’re going through, therapy can provide the tools you need to navigate the experience in a healthy and beneficial way.
• Experiencing stress or symptoms of mental health conditions: If you frequently feel stressed or are experiencing symptoms of any other mental health issues, working with a therapist may be an optimal way to find relief.

Important considerations before starting therapy

There are several important considerations to take into account to make sure that you find the right therapist and make sure you are prepared for the journey. Whether you're returning to therapy or trying therapy for the first time, here are the things you will want to consider before you schedule an appointment with a therapist:

Goals and expectations

It's important to set goals and define expectations before starting therapy. This starts with understanding that therapy is a process and setting realistic expectations for how quickly you can expect to see improvement. However, it also means setting specific goals for what you want to achieve from therapy.

Once you've defined them, you can share your goals and expectations with your therapist. However, you don’t have to go it alone — your therapist will also work with you to help define your goals. This will allow you and your therapist to collaboratively develop a treatment plan specifically designed to help you meet the most important goals. 

Motivation and readiness

Benefiting from therapy requires motivation and readiness to be open and honest with your therapist. During therapy, you need to be ready and willing to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a way that isn't always comfortable.

You also need to make sure you have the motivation to complete the therapy process. Attending weekly sessions, completing at-home exercises, and striving for self-improvement can be a big commitment. The more committed you are to the process, the more likely you are to see benefits.

Time commitment

It's very possible that you may begin to notice improvement after your first session with a therapist. However, significant, lasting results sometimes take longer to achieve. You will need to be prepared for this time commitment in a couple of ways:

For one, it will be important to remain patient and give therapy time to work — especially during the times when it may seem like you aren't making any progress. It will also be important to commit to setting aside time for therapy sessions and at-home exercises.

Therapist fit and location

When it comes time to choose a therapist, fit and location are two vital factors to consider. Starting with fit, choosing a therapist aligned with your needs and preferences is important. This means choosing a therapist who is experienced at addressing concerns like yours and who aligns with your personal preferences.

For example, some people prefer to work with therapists who are of the same gender or same faith as them — and personal preferences such as these are perfectly fine to have! The more comfortable you are with your therapist, the better the results will likely be.

Where your therapist is located is another important factor to consider. With online therapy, this isn't a concern. However, if you prefer to see an in-person therapist, you might want to consider a therapist local to you.

SonderMind makes it easy to find a therapist who fits your preferences and location needs. We also allow you to choose either online therapy for virtual sessions or in-person therapy with a provider in your area.

Learn more about how SonderMind matches therapy seekers with licensed therapists.

Get matched with the right therapist today

The lifelong benefits that therapy can provide are almost always worth the time and cost. This is especially true when you choose the right therapist for you.

At SonderMind, we ask you questions about yourself to help us get to know you. Then, we match you with in-person or online therapists suited to your needs and preferences. Once you match with your ideal therapist, SonderMind makes it easy to communicate with them and schedule an appointment.

Get started today and be matched with a therapist through SonderMind in as little as 48 hours.