Benefit #1: More confidence in your life

One of the big things talked about in therapy is self-esteem, or how you feel about yourself.  Self-esteem can be high or low (or somewhere in between!) In therapy, we work on boosting your self-esteem so that you feel comfortable and confident with who you are and what you have to offer!

This benefits all areas in your life.  From feeling confident in your abilities as work, to confidently contributing to conversations with friends, having higher self-esteem will have you feeling great!  Higher levels of confidence can lead to more energy, higher motivation, being happier, being more engaging, and higher levels of optimism.

Benefit #2: Easier decision making

Decisions can tough, but for some, decision making is a major obstacle in their life.  When decision making becomes hard, you may find that your to-do list ends up piling up and areas of your life become neglected. For example, work projects may get pushed back if you cannot make decisions surrounding the task, or your budget may end up inaccurate if you cannot make timely financial decisions.

Having difficulty making decisions can lead to frustration and lower self-esteem.  In therapy, therapists are trained to help you learn skills to make decisions quicker and with greater confidence, while still giving you the time to make a well informed decision.  We are able to provide these skills to our clients thanks to methods such as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) that purposefully dedicate time and strategies just to decision making.

Imagine next time when asked to make a choice how much time and energy you will save when you can make a decision easily.

Benefit #3: Being present for loved ones

Have you ever experienced when you are with friends, family, or loved ones that your mind wanders to other thoughts?  Maybe it is about worried of the future, regrets of the past, or thinking about other things you need to get done.  You eventually realize that you spent more time thinking about other things rather than enjoying the moment with those you care about.

In therapy, especially using methods like cognitive behavior therapy, your therapist will encourage you to keep your thoughts and awareness in the present moment.  This will be beneficial in two ways.  One, you will often find the present moment is less overwhelming than where your thoughts are leading you to.  Two, you will enjoy the activities you engage in more, creating positive memories, and solidifying positive relationships with others.  Not only will your emotional symptoms improve, but so will your dynamics with others when  you can enjoy the moment with them!

Benefit #4: Greater self-awareness

Therapists encourage clients to learn more about themselves to find what makes them feel well.  As you continue your therapy journey, you will find you will learn more about your unique personality, needs, boundaries, and coping skills.

By having a higher level of self-awareness, you will find your communication skills will improve and conversation and boundary setting will happen more easily.  Additionally, you will also find that when you start to get upset, you will use strategies that are more effective than what you tried prior to starting therapy.

Benefit #5: Healthy boundaries

As mentioned with self-awareness, you will learn how to set healthy boundaries in therapy.  Through self-awareness you will learn what your boundaries are, but your therapist will also take it to the next level and discuss ways to verbalize, assert, and execute your boundaries.

Having healthy boundaries will reduce burnout, promote self-care, and increase wellbeing.  Additionally, you will not be overextending yourself. You will also experience greater happiness and satisfaction because you will be in control of what works for you and what does not.

If this feels overwhelming, don’t worry.  Many therapists will be happy to practice and rehearse boundary setting with you!  You will be prepared, which will give you the confidence needed to verbalize your boundaries.

Benefit #6: Better communication

You have probably heard of the expression “communication is key” before.  Yet, have you wondered how to go about effective communication?  Psychology recognizes communication as highly important because we spend a lot of time as social creatures interacting with others.   In Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT),  which is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, one of its four core competencies is dedicated to interacting with others.

Therapy will place a strong emphasis on communication if this is an area that you struggle with.  Imagine feeling comfortable and confident in your communication skills with others.  From work to your personal life, being able to communicate will be a boost to your confidence and improve your dynamics with others.

Benefit #7: Self-Care Routine for Healthier Lifestyle

There are two main reasons why we struggle with self-care.  One is when we have a lot going on or struggle with our mental health, it can be easy to put our own self-care on the burner.  The other reason Is that sometimes we feel selfish for prioritizing our wellbeing.  The truth is, self-care is critical to keeping us healthy and present.

Without self-care we face burnout which can have negative impacts on both our physical and mental health. We may feel exhausted, worn out, and overextended, just to name a few.  With self-care, however, we are bettering ourselves to recharge to be present for the other things and people we need to be there for.  It also serves as a reminder that you are important and worth taking care of.  Plus, it becomes something to look forward to when you have a challenging day.

Imagine having time just to yourself to what makes you feel good.  Can you picture how much more recharged you will feel? By having a self-care routine that works for you, you will notice improvements in your mood, energy levels, and motivation.

Benefit #8: Management of Symptoms

Do you notice certain symptoms that particularly bother you?  For example, it may be tension in the body, a warm feeling from anxiety or anger, or feeling shut down.  Imagine if you keep going that way without tools and strategies to feel better.  It is probably a little bit uncomfortable, right?  Imagine you are equipped with effective tools that reduce those symptoms.  How do you feel imagining that?

Your therapist and yourself will work together to collaborate on creating a toolkit of strategies that work for you to help lower the symptoms.  By managing your symptoms you will experience a boost of confidence, increased control of your emotions, and an increase in your overall sense of wellbeing.

Next Steps

Today we talked about the following benefits of therapy: confidence, decision-making, being present, self-awareness, boundaries, self-care, and symptom management.  While this probably sounds exciting, it may also feel a little overwhelming on where to start.  That is what we are here for!  At online-therapy.com, our therapists value collaborating with you so that you feel comfortable, confident, and in control in all areas of your life.