I have worked in the mental health field in Boston for more than a decade. I have been an outpatient therapist at a major Boston hospital treating a wide variety of patients, a teacher instructing psychiatry residents in therapy interventions, an admissions coordinator for an inpatient psychiatric facility, and a resource and referral specialist helping to connect children and families with psychiatric and behavioral health care. In that time, I have confronted several myths about what it means to participate in therapy, which have created barriers for some to accessing mental health care. Let’s debunk these myths and hopefully reduce barriers to your care.
Myth number one: “Therapy is for ‘Crazy’ people.”
First, I reject the notion that any person is “crazy.” Our behavior and emotions are caused by a series of mental, emotional, medical, and situational factors which shape our abilities and impact how we function in the world. Many mental health symptoms arise because of a ‘normal’ response to a set of ‘abnormal’ circumstances. That said, therapy is not only for individuals with ‘serious mental illness.’ Anyone can benefit from therapy because therapy can treat a wide variety of problems. Some examples include: persistent feelings of sadness or worry, distress resulting from a traumatic experience, or difficulty adjusting to a new change or stressor in your life such as grief following a loss or stress related to starting a new job.
At Rachael Gorton Therapy, your telehealth therapist specializes in the treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, pregnancy loss and infertility, depression, anxiety, trauma disorders, couples’ issues, and life stressors. We treat all kinds of people, as long as you are in Massachusetts.
Myth number two: “My therapist doesn’t really care about me. I pay them to care.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. You pay for a therapist to provide an evidence-based and therapeutic intervention to treat your symptoms and help you achieve your goals. However, you do not pay for your therapist’s compassion. Therapists are members of a ‘helping profession,’ and therapists and other mental health professionals care profoundly about their patients regardless of their ability to pay. Our compassion is free. Therapists must set and hold professional boundaries with clients, but they nonetheless celebrate each client’s wins and mourn their losses.
You may feel like you do not have supporters in your life who can offer you compassion in healthy, non-judgmental, and proactive ways. A mental health professional, like at Rachael Gorton Therapy, can be a person who provides compassionate care to help you achieve your goals and manage your well-being.
Myth number three: “All therapy and therapists are the same; I’ve been to therapy before, and it didn’t work. Why would it work now?”
Not all therapists are the same and not all therapy is created equal. A therapist who is a fantastic ‘fit’ for one person might be a poor ‘fit’ for someone else. This can depend on a variety of factors including personality and practice style. Likewise, one treatment style – while evidence based – may work well for one person and not be quite right for someone else. Though this process of finding the ‘right person’ may seem daunting, there are some things to keep in mind when looking for a new provider.
(1) It is important to be clear with your therapist about your goals and concerns to help determine if they will be a good fit.
(2) If you know a specific intervention works well for you, let your new therapist know this. Perhaps you have seen a therapist before and you had success with CBT or a particular session structure. This is vital to share with a new provider.
(3) Conversely, if there are styles or interventions that you know do not work for you, let your new therapist know this as well. Communicating these details to a provider can increase the chances of a successful therapeutic relationship.
All of this helps you and a potential therapist decide if you will work well together. A good general guideline to follow is to commit to three visits with any new therapist. This will give you the time and opportunity to review the above information and to work through some of the initial discomfort of meeting with a stranger to discuss intimate details about your life.
Comfort is essential to successful therapy so, if after three visits you still don’t feel a connection, let your therapist know this. You may also ask if they can assist you with identifying another provider who may be a better fit for your needs.
At Rachael Gorton Therapy we use a holistic or ‘eclectic’ approach blending a variety of treatment styles to best suit the needs of our patients.
Myth number four: “I will feel better after a single session.”
Therapy can be immensely beneficial. This is supported by clinical research and has been apparent in my own anecdotal experience both personally and professionally. That said, it is important to have realistic expectations about what will and won’t be possible. Though you may sometimes feel good after an individual appointment – or even multiple individual appointments – it is unlikely that an entire series of presenting concerns or symptoms will be resolved in one session. Furthermore, it is also possible that you might feel worse after an individual session because therapy can be an “it gets darker before the dawn” kind of situation.
Therapy requires you to talk about things that you may have been avoiding which might feel uncomfortable as you initially begin to discuss them openly. Never fear though, with persistence and a strong rapport with your therapist, it does get better. Whether short or long term, your therapist can discuss the expected timeline for treatment with you based on your presenting concerns and goals for treatment.
At Rachael Gorton Therapy, our Boston-area telehealth therapist will follow our motto of providing therapy that is “Compassionate, Inclusive, Non-Judgmental, and Curious.” Because we are a telehealth-based practice, we can serve people all over Massachusetts, wherever it is convenient and secure to do so.
Myth number five: “People will judge me if I get therapy. I could even be fired from my job.“
First and foremost, therapy is confidential. Your therapist is required by federal law, state law, and their board of ethics to maintain your confidentiality to the highest standards possible. Additionally, you are under no obligation to tell anyone about your participation in therapy. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are not required to disclose your mental health history to your employer unless you are requesting an accommodation at work, and they are prohibited from asking you about your mental health history. It is also illegal for your employer to fire you because of a mental or physical disability.
If you at any point decide you want to tell someone in your life about your therapy journey, your therapist can help support you through considering your options and navigating your fears and emotions.
Your therapist will explain more about confidentiality and the limited exceptions during the process of ‘informed consent,’ which usually takes place during your first appointment.
Myth number six: “My therapist has all the answers and will fix my problems from a list of ‘cookie cutter’ solutions.”
Therapists have specialized training and clinical experience which makes them uniquely qualified to help you navigate mental illness and life stressors. However, just because they have an expertise in mental or behavioral health does not make them an expert in you. YOU are the expert in you. Therapy is also not one size fits all, because everyone is different. So, your therapist will work in collaboration with you to navigate and challenge your stressors and work toward your goals. Your therapist will not tell you what to do, but as a non-biased third party, who also has specialized training, your therapist can help you to examine your choices, challenge stressors, and examine symptoms in a way that might not be possible alone.
At Rachael Gorton Therapy, we understand that all people enter their therapy journey from different points in their healing process and with many varied goals for their treatment. We will meet you where you are in your process and tailor treatment to your specific needs.
If you live in Massachusetts and are considering starting telehealth therapy, please contact us! We provide a free 15-minute consultation.
