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Making Wellness Attainable: Talk Therapy in Milwaukee

Don’t let these myths about mental health therapy keep you from seeking help and feeling better.

For some of us, our ideas about talk therapy are rooted in stereotypes. If we’ve considered meeting with a therapist, we often hesitate, falling back on a few common myths about therapy. We worry that our problems aren’t big enough, or that therapy will be a waste of our (and the therapist’s) time.
But the truth is, those myths are just myths—stories we tell ourselves that aren’t based in reality.

Meeting regularly with a therapist can be a revelation. It may even start to seem silly that you were ever reluctant to ask for help. But many of us in our 20s and 30s report feeling that way. Often we’d rather call up a friend for advice than seek a professional opinion, but the people closest to us aren’t always the best at providing objective guidance. An urging from a friend to “Just break up with your deadbeat boyfriend!” might be well-intentioned, but it’s not the most nuanced advice.

If you’re considering giving talk therapy a try but you’re stuck on old preconceived notions about what it will entail, you’re not alone. But you don’t need to feel that way. Let’s debunk a few common myths about therapy so you can put those hang-ups aside and start feeling better.

Myth: Psychotherapy is an extreme form of treatment only for severe cases of mental illness. For the uninitiated, the word “psychotherapy” can sound intense—maybe it brings up memories of “The Bell Jar” and obsolete shock therapy techniques—but psychotherapy is just the technical term for talk therapy. It’s quite literally a conversation, and when you think of it as a chat between two people, it’s not intimidating at all.

Myth: My problems aren’t big enough for therapy. Therapy can help you sort through major difficulties, traumas, and losses. But it can also be vital in improving your day-to-day life if you’re feeling stuck in a relationship, a job, or a family situation. No problem is too small (or too big) for therapy.

Myth: Therapy takes a long time. By starting therapy, you aren’t committing to a weekly session until the end of time. In fact, studies have shown that half of psychotherapy patients improved after eight sessions and 75 percent improved after six months. Therapy is something you may start and stop at different times throughout your life at times when you most need a fresh perspective to help lift you out of a rut or work through a challenging situation.

Myth: It will be hard to find the right therapist for me. Positive results from therapy are predicated on a trusting relationship between you and your therapist. We have pop culture to thank for giving us the image of a therapist peering over her glasses and pretending to take notes (usually while working on a crossword puzzle) instead of listening to her distraught patient. But in reality, therapists are professionals who are deeply invested in helping their clients. If you don’t click with the first therapist you meet, you may decide to meet with a few others before committing, just to make sure you have the right fit. You’re never obligated to stay with a therapist if you don’t feel a connection.

Myth: If I go to therapy, I have to do all the talking. Talk therapy isn’t just talking. You may spend part of a session discussing your problems, but your therapist will also help you chart out a course of action to feel better and live life fully. Depending on your therapist’s approach to therapy—there are many—you may even practice techniques like breathing exercises or meditation during your session.

Myth: Anxiety or depression is my problem, and I should just get over it on my own. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States. Forty million adults are affected by anxiety each year, and it’s highly treatable. There is never shame in seeking help, and Elle is a place where you’ll be surrounded by like-minded individuals who value mental health services and aren’t afraid to openly embrace the many benefits of talk therapy. Working with a counselor provides a space where you can be completely honest about your concerns.