We often get asked by potential clients and sometimes even friends or family, “Why should I pay for someone to talk to when I can talk to my friends for free?” This is a very face valid question. It’s true. You can definitely vent and talk things through with your loved ones for free.

However, therapy is much more than just talking.

Therapy is the one safe space where you can release all that you’ve been holding in without worrying about being judged, feeling like a burden on anyone, or having your private information shared with others.

As much as we love our family and friends, sometimes we do feel slightly (or more) judged when talking to them because they may have different viewpoints than us or would have approached a situation we’re facing in our lives a bit differently than how we did or are planning to. Sometimes too, when we’re in a very emotional state, especially one that has been prolonged, we feel uncomfortable reaching out to our friends because we don’t want to feel like we’re “too much” or that we’re burdening them with our issues. We know that they have their own life stress too, and we don’t want to give them more to bear. So what happens in these cases? Who do you turn to? And what about privacy? Again, as much as we love our family and friends, unfortunately, we’ve all run into the frustrating scenario of trusting someone with our private gripes or information and later learning that this information was shared with someone else, maybe even the person that we were complaining about! And speaking of, sometimes the person we want to vent about is the very person we usually turn to to vent! So who do you turn to then?

These are where the differences lie. Your secrets are safe with your therapist so you can literally talk to them about anything or anyone, with no limits. Your therapist holds a space for you to fully express anything that’s on your mind so that you can actively work toward releasing, processing, problem-solving, and coping effectively. So of course therapy is more than just talking! It’s your space to deeply learn and grow. Your therapist is equipped with years of education, training, and experience to be impartial and keep your best interest as the number one priority. Therapists teach you different ways to think, cope, and approach the world, so that you can step into the best version of yourself. They use strategies based on years of scientific research to target your specific areas of concerns. This is very different from talking to your friends and family, who honestly just don’t always give the best advice! We’ve all encountered some bad advice from friends or advice from family that serves themselves more than it serves us. You don’t have to worry about that in therapy. Your therapist is there for you and you only.

This is all said to say, if you don’t already have one, find a therapist! Make it a part of your self-care routine, even if that means coming just once a month for a check-in and release.

If you’re looking for a therapist in FL, GA, AL, or TN, we might have the perfect one for you. All it takes to get started is booking a complimentary consultation to learn more about our services and get scheduled for a first appointment.