According to Dr. David Spiegel, M.D., associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, anyone should be open to seeking professional guidance when it comes to their emotional health. “We’re social creatures, fundamentally, so talking to people can be a real source of support and help,” Speigel says. “But it won’t happen if you don’t give it a try.”
Here are some ways therapy in Toronto can make you happier and mentally healthier, and improve your life:
- Therapy can help you handle emotions from problems or stressors, even if they aren’t dramatically life-altering or traumatic.
Ellen Starr Psychotherapy is well-known for its problem-solving techniques and reputation as a tool for overcoming anxiety, depression and addiction. But as Spiegel explains, it’s also a way to establish better emotional wellness in your daily life. In other words, you don’t have to go through a huge life event or trauma to benefit from therapy. Talking with a professional allows you to get a sense of how you appear to other people, helps you get feedback on whatever you’re feeling and offers insight on how those emotions are affecting your everyday life.
- A licensed therapists Toronto can help you dissect a problem
You learn about perspective on whatever the problem is you’re struggling with. You can see the problem without feeling overwhelmed with anxiety or sadness even though the problem is still there. In that way, therapy can help you recontextualize the problem you’re dealing with in order to make a strategy to help you move forward. Just as a life coach can help you formulate a plan to make a significant change in your life, therapy can help you develop a strategy to handle a current hardship you may be facing.
- Talking with someone can help you find purpose.
According to Zeiv, Therapy allows you to work toward a goal, which can bring confidence, peace of mind and, ultimately, more meaning to life. “This really works for people who are seeking more meaning in their lives, personally and professionally,” Ziev says. “It clarifies your purpose… particularly when you’re feeling depleted in life.” When you speak to a professional, whether it be a life coach or a therapist, Ziev stresses the importance of opening yourself up to what you’re struggling with and where you’d like to go from there.
- Licensed therapists can hold you accountable for your goals
Whether you want to lose weight or make a significant career change, talking to a professional life coach can help you get over those mental blocks you encounter with any challenge. Having someone to answer to will also hold you accountable for your progress.
Research shows that social support can help build resilience against stress — a useful tool if you’re trying to make a significant life change.
Conclusion
Therapists, whether classified as psychologists or counselors, have varying master’s and doctorate degrees and are licensed by their state. With psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, licensed therapists in Toronto focus on the long-term and work on ways to understand your thoughts, moods and behaviors.
