If you’ve been thinking about starting therapy, this may be a helpful spot to jump in. Historically called psychotherapy, talk therapy is pretty much what it sounds like: talking with a therapist.
Why, you might be wondering, would you pay someone when you could just talk to a friend? Because talk therapy means having a conversation with more than just a listening ear. The person talking with you has extensive training in mental wellness. They’re equipped to help you in ways that someone who hasn’t received this training and education isn’t.
Ultimately, talk therapy is an approach that mental health professionals use to help their clients/patients communicate in order to identify issues that may be contributing to their mental distress. Unlike speaking with our loved ones, talk therapy provides a professional space that is unbiased, non-judgemental, and clinical. This allows an individual to access tools and specified information that may otherwise be difficult to obtain outside of this type of setting.
So, if you’re curious to learn more about this therapy option, you’re in the right place.
What to expect with talk therapy
Before you can start talk therapy, you need to find a therapist. This can take some time, but it’s well worth putting in the effort. If you don’t click with the first therapist you sit down with after a few sessions, try someone new. It’s most important that you feel like the therapist is someone you feel you can open up to.
At your first therapy session, the therapist usually asks you a few questions to initiate the conversation. They might ask you to tell them a little bit about yourself. They will almost definitely ask you what brings you in.
Whether there’s a specific situation that’s bothering you or mental illness symptoms you’re trying to address, share as much detail as you feel comfortable with. The more you tell your therapist, the better they’ll be able to tailor the talk therapy to help you.
As you keep meeting with your therapist and talking through what’s on your mind, that trained mental health professional tailors care for you. That might mean exploring certain activities — like meditation or journaling — or specific tools, like coping strategies and ways to self-soothe. The therapist is there to hold space for you, hear you, and help you move through challenging obstacles into your healthiest life possible.
If it feels difficult to open up in the beginning, try not to place too much meaning on this — it’s completely normal to have hesitations opening up. Typically, as time moves forward and the trust develops, this gets easier.
The benefits of this kind of therapy
As it turns out, just talking about the way you’re feeling can go a long way. And having that conversation with someone who’s trained to help you takes the benefits even further.
Talk therapy can help with everything from mental illness like anxiety to difficult life circumstances like grieving a loss.
Studies show that it creates long-term effects in your brain. It helps with neuroplasticity, your ability to learn new thinking patterns and behaviors. It can help you control your emotions and deal with life’s stresses in a more healthy way. In fact, research reveals that talk therapy can be just as effective as drugs with proven active ingredients.
In other words, science backs this form of therapy up. Plus, if you’ve ever felt better after talking to a loved one about a challenging situation, you’ve already felt some of the benefits yourself.
If you want to give talk therapy a try for yourself and you’re in Ventura County, contact us at the Ventura Counseling & Wellness Center. If you’re in LA County, we can help you at West Valley Counseling Center.
