Myths & Legends

The Truth Is Out There! But it’s probably not where you’re looking… 

It’s easy to see why so many myths & legends about Counselling & Psychotherapy exist in society. No cop drama is complete these days without a character who can tell you that a serial murderer is a male in his mid-twenties, who was abused by his mother, likes heavy metal, dogs and wears a blue jumper on Saturdays, based on some obscure detail that has eluded even the most observant viewer. Any therapy appearing in a film has a client laying back on a couch staring contemplatively as they recall the trauma that followed the time their aunty gave them a dirty look after forgetting to take their shoes off as they entered the house – while a bespectacled therapist nods in recognition, apparently psycho-analysing them; And, of course, there is no shortage of celebrities, air-brushed & filtered to within an inch of their lives, cashing in on the self-help book market describing how they overcame their depression by going vegan, completely forgetting to mention the fact that they employed the help of an au pair, nutritionist, personal trainer & psychotherapist to help them recover, leaving the rest of us to feel inadequate by comparison for failing so miserably in fighting our own battles.

Additionally, mental health issues have been a taboo for a very long time so it’s not surprising that there are a lot of ideas prevalent in society about Counselling & Psychotherapy that are either completely untrue, or only partly so. The sad fact is that some people are put off engaging with a therapist by some of these myths. Time then, to set the record straight!

1. Therapy opens up a can of worms. This is the idea that therapists essentially make things worse for clients by encouraging them to tackle issues that they already ‘have a lid on’. The problem with this view is that it ignores the very reason that someone might be struggling in the first place. If you are struggling with an issue, it’s unlikely to go away if you try to ignore it or repress it. As other pressures in life add to your burdens, the pressure may increase until your issue starts affecting other areas of your life. An example might be someone who represses a sexual trauma which then goes on to affect relationships in later life. Also, it’s entirely possible that the root of a persons issues are held in the subconscious. While the problem manifests in some other ways, it’s cause remains out of sight until a therapist is able to help the client explore, discover & recover.
2. Therapy doesn’t work, it doesn’t solve your problems. Actually this is partially true. Therapy doesn’t solve your problems for you. It helps you develop the skills and learn methods to solve your own problems. Therapy is about helping you to tap into your innate potential, your ability to heal & grow. Secondly, as for the idea that therapy doesn’t work – The evidence base for the efficacy of therapy is far stronger than the evidence base for pharmaceutical interventions like anti-depressants. Medicines like these are often cheaper in the short term than therapy, which is one reason why Doctors are more inclined to write prescriptions for pills than refer someone for talking therapies.
3. Therapy always works. Again, not true. Therapy depends on several key components:
   1. The Client: If the client is unable or unwilling to work through the necessary material & methods to effect therapy, it won’t work. The best that can be hoped for in this situation, is that the therapist can help the client maintain their current position and not deteriorate further.
   2. The Therapist: The therapist must be able to establish a relationship with the client that is based on trust, mutual respect & honesty, and the absence of judgement. The therapist must also deliver a service that is ethically compliant with effective boundaries, and motivated by action in the best interests of the client.
   3. The Service: The therapist must be capable of delivering an evidence-based service that is relevant to the needs of the client or refer them to an alternative service that can provide the help needed, balanced with their natural humanity.
   4. Finally, communication: The therapist & client must be able to communicate effectively. This sounds obvious but, for example, in todays multicultural society, if the therapist & client don’t have a good command of a common language, it’s hard to see how therapy can be delivered effectively.
4. Therapists read your mind. If only that were true. If only we had that ability, it would save hours of talking to get to the real crux of the issues that people bring to therapy. We simply don’t have that ability and I would advise anyone thinking of working with a therapist that claims to have such an ability to look elsewhere. What a therapist can do is help a client explore their thoughts & feelings to reveal deeper truths that, perhaps, had gone unnoticed.
5. It takes one to know one. This is the idea that the therapist must have experienced similar troubles to the client to understand their problem & be able to help. One such example is that of a grieving parent believing that a therapist can’t help unless they too have lost a child. In fact, the very opposite may be true. If the therapist has lost a child, their feelings about their own loss can adversely influence the service provided and work against the best interests of the client.
6. Therapy drags up the past. It’s not always necessary to look into a client’s past to understand their current condition. For example, many anxiety issues can be dealt with, with therapies like CBT which tend to focus on the present experience of the client.
7. Everyone needs therapy. Not true. Everyone can benefit from talking about the things that are on their mind – You don’t need to have a mental health issue to use therapeutic services. However, many people go about their lives without needing professional support. Having said that it doesn’t mean that you’re in any way unusual if you feel you do need support. An ability to know when to ask for help is a strength, not a weakness. If you needed help with some other kind of problem, for example, the help of a doctor to cope with a medical issue, not asking for your Doctors help could have bad consequences. There is no rational reason why therapy should be seen in any other way.

This is not an exhaustive list of myths about counselling & psychotherapy but these are some of the most common that I’ve come across in life as a professional psychotherapist. Oh, by the way, I’ve yet to meet another therapist who works with clients who lay back on a couch… In case you are in any doubt, we tend to just use chairs these days! And no, I’ve no idea what colour jumpers you wear on Saturdays.

If you’d like to discuss Counselling & Psychotherapy for yourself or someone you know, contact BroadMinds Therapy and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have and discuss options for you. Call 0899420568, email: help@broadmindstherapy.org , contact us via this website or visit our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/jpbroad

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As always, thanks for taking the time to read this article.