When you go to therapy, it might be because you’re dealing with a mental illness such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, PTSD, or BPD. One of the reasons to go to counseling is that you have mental health issues or mental illness, but have you ever considered calling your provider a mental health therapist? You’re there to take care of your mental health. It’s not so much about focusing on what’s wrong with you, but let’s get to how we make it right. Mental health is part of the wellness picture. It’s not about your physical health; it’s the holistic view of being a human being in the 21st century.
Why mental health matters
Mental health determines how you can function in the world. If you’re not managing your mental health, and you feel burnt out much of the time, you’re not experiencing your life to the fullest capacity. One of the first ways to take charge of your mental wellbeing is recognizing what your values are, and what matters to you. If you have an understanding of who you are, what you stand for, and what you need to stay mentally well, you can achieve those goals in therapy. Thinking of your counselor as a mental health therapist is essential. It focuses on the positive. What do you want to achieve and what will make it possible for you to be mentally well or stable? You might not know the answer to these questions now, but that’s one of the many things that you can figure out in therapy.
Setting goals in therapy
Therapy isn’t just a place to talk about your problems in the abstract sense. Therapy is also a place to set concrete goals and work on them. Say that you’re getting divorced and you want to become more independent because you’ve been in a codependent relationship for a long time. You can talk to your mental health therapist about becoming more independent and find ways to achieve that independence. Part of being mentally healthy is knowing what patterns aren’t serving you and establishing ways to change them. That’s why going to therapy is extremely valuable. During the therapeutic process, you’ll gain a better understanding of yourself, and how you relate to others around you. You may find that there are people in your life that are hurting you more than helping, and that’s when you need to evaluate their place in your world. a
Letting go of toxic patterns and people
Another part of mental health is identifying patterns that are toxic and working hard to let go of them so that you can be mentally well. In addition to patterns, start thinking about the people in your life and the value they add to it. If someone is in your life and they’re always criticizing you, making you feel bad about yourself, or bringing you down, maybe it’s time for you to let go of that person. It can be challenging to see that someone in your life is toxic for you, but it’s essential that you’re around people that make you feel good. Take an inventory of how you feel when you’re around particular people. Do you feel drained, or energized? Do you feel worse about yourself, or do you feel empowered? If you recognize one of your interpersonal relationships as toxic, your mental health therapist will be able to help you figure out how to set a boundary with that person or do whatever else you need to do to be the best version of yourself.
Online therapy
Online therapy is an excellent place to figure out what’s going on with you and find a way to combat toxic patterns. Whether you work with a provider online or in your local area, it’s time for you to figure out how to be mentally healthy, and you can do it.
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