How Therapy Can Help You Heal

For many people struggling with persistent dark thoughts and mental illness, therapy can become a key that unlocks the shackles of physical, mental and emotional torment. Yet research shows that over half of adults with a mental illness never receive treatment, instead suffering in silence.

Understanding therapy

Therapy is a professional mental health practice with the objective of improving your psychological well-being and your relationship with the world around you. Therapy is a collaborative process between yourself and a trained expert, giving guidance, support and a space for self-exploration.

A person does not need to have one specific problem to enter into and benefit from therapy. Many people start therapy after setting their own personal goals and objectives and use therapy to work upwards. Others seek therapy to get out of a deep hole in which they feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unlike their usual selves.

Therapy also does not need to solely function as a response to a traumatic event. It can be a proactive and preventative tool to help you identify and cope with problems that arise in the future.

Regardless of the reason for seeking therapy, the skills you learn can become a deep source of support and provide the light you need to get through the dark and difficult times.

What are the most common forms of therapy?

Therapists are usually trained in different techniques and approaches, often called “modalities” of therapy. These modalities can be applied to your specific needs and circumstances.

Some of the more common modalities of therapy include:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): Cognitive behavioural therapy is widely used by medical professionals to help you identify negative thinking patterns and learn to reframe them in a more constructive way.
• Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT): Dialectical behaviour therapy takes the main concepts and strategies of CBT and merges them with practices designed to help your emotional regulation. DBT emphasises how healing can come from the opposing forces of acceptance vs change.
• Motivational interviewing (MI): Motivational interviewing helps people who severely struggle with low self-worth and self-esteem. MI is rooted in the philosophy that important and lasting change comes from within oneself.
• Group therapy: Practitioners of group therapy believe that a heightened sense of community and sharing experiences with others is the best way to heal. Group sessions involve members opening up and relating to the struggles of others.
• Rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT): REBT is usually structured around individual and group therapy but is grounded in the belief that addressing and restructuring irrational beliefs is the key to improving mental health.

In what ways can therapy help me heal?

Each person’s experience in therapy can help soothe and heal negative feelings in various ways. Therapy is extremely flexible and can be applied to the different forms of pain and stress a person is going through.

 

Development of coping skills and strategies

As you go through therapy, you’ll develop new coping skills that support you through your most difficult times. A licensed therapist teaches you strategies for handling stressful situations, replacing unhelpful thought patterns with constructive ones.

Recurring negative thoughts are one of the most common symptoms of a person in a depressive episode. They are sometimes called “cognitive distortions” by therapy specialists. Retrospectively learning how the brain can distort your perceptions can help you reevaluate and judge future stresses more objectively.

Improved relationships and family connections

Therapy can help a person manage their distressing thoughts and feelings, but its benefits extend beyond individual healing. It lays the foundation for improving the way you communicate with loved ones and allows you to express your struggles openly and honestly. By practicing open communication with your therapist it becomes easier to bring the root causes of relationship conflicts to light.

You may find that relationships with family members or a spouse have become co-dependent, meaning destructive behaviours are enabled by one party without realising the harm that’s being caused. Therapy helps identify these patterns and guides you toward more balanced, fulfilling connections with others.

Managing depression and mood disorders

Therapy provides the structured and safe environment many people need to address and manage depression and mood disorders. Research supports that techniques in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) are effective in the acute treatment of depression and may serve as a viable alternative to antidepressant medications for some.

Therapy can become a workshop in which you practice using the tools needed to manage overwhelming negative emotions. Once picked up, these tools can be carried and used to build a future free from the dark cloud of depression.

Healing from abuse and trauma

Therapy can become a wellspring of healing for a person who has experienced trauma in childhood. Traumatic events and “adverse childhood experiences” (ACEs) often drive people to dangerous and risky behaviours later in life and leave an indelible mark that lasts long into adulthood.

Trauma-informed therapy like eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) specifically pinpoints and helps soothe traumatic memories. A therapist guides you as you recall distressing memories while practising specific eye movements to help the brain reprocess traumatic experiences.

Resilience and support for alcohol and drug addictions

Therapy can become an invaluable tool for a person needing support with recovery from drugs or alcohol. If you’ve grown dependent on alcohol or drugs and need addiction help, therapy may be the key to breaking free when used alongside detox in rehab.

There are often major psychological contributors in the forming and maintaining of an addiction. A person’s past trauma may make them more likely to turn to alcohol or drugs to escape overwhelming worries. Therapy for substance abuse can be held in a one-on-one setting, but group therapy can be an especially effective method. The sense of community and shared experience between group members can remind a person that their pains are not felt alone and that recovery from alcoholism and drugs is possible.

Where can I take the first step toward healing?

Therapy is a powerful and lasting tool in recovery. With the right support, it can help you break free from emotional turmoil, trauma and substance addiction. If you or a loved one are struggling and need help, we are here for you.

Here at Sanctuary Lodge, we specialise in therapy programmes for addiction, depression and mental health disorders. Our expert team specialise in giving you the tools needed to regain complete control of your life and escape the confines of drug and alcohol addiction.

The help you need is only one phone call away. Reach out to us today to take your first step toward a brighter, happier and healthier future.