Part of helping people through their mental health issues is deconstructing the myth of what therapy is and what is required to help you with your mental health.
One reason that some people avoid therapy is because they “don’t like to talk about their feelings.” They choose not to get the mental health support they need because they don’t like to, don’t want to, or think they’re bad at sharing how they feel.
But therapy is not like that. Therapy does not require you to easily talk about your feelings. In theory, you don’t need to talk about your feelings at all.
Action Oriented Therapy
Therapy doesn’t have to be feelings based, though we’ll talk more about feelings in a moment. Many forms of therapy are focused on techniques that do not require talking about feelings in any way. Instead, you can have therapy that is:
- Skills Building – Therapy can focus on helping you build skills so that you’re better able to address any issues that come your way. Rather than require you to talk about how you feel, we can focus on how you address conflict, motivate yourself, respond to negative self-talk, and more. You can do all this without talking about how you currently or used to feel.
- Action Planning – Similarly, if you’re feeling stuck in life, you can have therapy that is focused on action. How do we get you from point A to points B and C. We can do that without knowing how you’re feeling, and without focusing on your emotions.
Still, it should also be noted that therapy is also about making you comfortable enough to chat about your feelings without it necessarily being “heavy.” Once you’re comfortable with your therapist, they can ask if questions that you can answer simply, without necessarily having to go through any significant emotions that you may not be able to share.
Anyone can say “I’m sad,” once they’ve opened up to someone more, and that may be enough to cover some of what we need to help you move forward. And, of course, the reason you may be struggling to talk about your emotions may also be related to something addressed in therapy, and if that’s the case you may find that you are better able to open up, or you can have that as one of your skills/action goals.
It’s Not Always About the Deep Thoughts
“I don’t like to talk about my feelings” is most people. Yes, there are those that are very good at opening up and being emotional, but many – if not most – people do not feel comfortable sharing deep emotions on a whim. That’s okay. For many approaches to therapy, it may not even be necessary, and in situations where it is necessary it is something you can worry about later – not when you get started.
Therapy has been around for a long time, and every concern you’ve had and every worry has likely already been addressed. Therapy exists because of how effective and useful it is for pretty much everyone. Try it for yourself. Reach out to Long Island Counseling Services, today.