Pros and Cons of Therapy

Being part of a therapy office you may expect me to only have pros about attending therapy. Don’t get me wrong, there are many pros, but I would be lying if I said that we didn’t know of any cons, because there are some. I want to spend a little time discussing both the pros and the cons of therapy so that you will have a better understanding of the benefits and the barriers of getting the help you deserve.

The reasons people seek therapy are highly individualized, but the benefits can often

be the same. Clients often look for therapists that can provide tools and skills for lasting healing, not only a place to vent. Our therapists use many different modalities of therapy and tailor them for each individual client. We know that therapy is not one size fits all, and our therapists approach reflects that. Our therapists work hard so that when you exit therapy, you will feel confident in how you move forward in life, an ability to better handle interpersonal relationships, and have an improved capacity for distress. Some expectations you can have:

• Processing Trauma

  • You and your therapist will work through the trauma and experiences you have had. While trauma can change your brain and cause you to create maladaptive coping skills, healing can provide new ways of thinking, feeling, and living. Our therapists are skilled at helping you process what you have been through and dealing with in order to move forward with new improved capabilities at handling stressful situations.

• Self-Awareness

  • Self-awareness is the ability to understand your patterns and reactions to life's stresses. With the help of one of our therapists, you will be able to drop any judgement you may have about how you have handled life so far and gain the knowledge needed for positive and lasting changes. If you feel stuck, our therapists can help.

• Emotional Intelligence

  • Emotional intelligence is putting your self-awareness into practice. Once you are able to identify your strengths and weaknesses you can use your self-awareness to create new coping mechanisms. Having greater emotional intelligence will provide you with a deeper level of empathy for both yourself and others, and improve your ability to manage your emotions through conflict and trials. Our therapists can teach you the skills needed to move through life with greater ease.

I’m not actually keen on saying that there are cons to therapy because I believe that therapy can offer new tools for better self-awareness and emotional intelligence at any point in life. I tend to think of the cons to therapy more as barriers; reasons therapy may feel inaccessible or particularly difficult. Much like the list above of the pros to therapy, this list of cons is only a small glimpse into the challenges of getting the help you need. Some of these barriers may be:

• Time Commitment

  • Therapy takes time; unfortunately there is no way around this. The first few sessions are often you and your therapist getting to know each other. While you explain your trauma or the difficulties that are bringing you to therapy, they will be paying attention to any coping skills you have formed, both positive and negative. Your therapist will assess any thoughts, feelings, or beliefs you have formed and will use this information to work with you on shifting your mindset and educating you on practical skills you can use and how exactly to do that. 

    You may ask yourself, “how long does therapy take?” This question isn’t new to us, and we wish we had a concrete answer. I have mentioned before that therapy is not one size fits all, and this is true for the answer of how long will therapy take. Each client will differ based on their experiences and what they are looking to achieve. We recommend a minimum of 8 weekly sessions. This allows you and your therapist an opportunity to establish a safe and trusting relationship, work through your stresses and/or traumas, and learn new skills to move forward with. Some people attend therapy for years, it really depends on the person and their therapist, the severity of the impacts the traumas and stresses have had on them, and the goals set between the two.

• Cost of Therapy

  • I won’t beat around the bush; therapy is not always free. This financial barrier can be a reason you may not seek help. We understand and this is the reason we work with each person contacting us for therapy and do our best to provide services at a cost that meets their needs. We like to be transparent about costs at Mariposa Counseling. We have partnered with many different insurance companies, including several forms of Medicaid. We keep our self-pay rates competitive at $125-$175 per hour session and we do offer sliding scale fees for those that qualify. Additionally, we strive to keep a skilled therapy intern on staff to offer therapy services at $30 per session. We do not want cost to be the barrier keeping you from getting help.

• Therapy Can Be Uncomfortable

  • When trauma has impacted your life or you are dealing with challenging relationships it can feel difficult to talk about. Feelings of not wanting to relive your experiences could come up, or you may feel shame or fears of rejection surrounding your relationships. Whatever is bringing you to therapy most likely does not feel easy to manage alone. This is likely one of the reasons you are seeking help in the first place. You can find healing with our therapists’ help. Together you can work through discomfort, and they will help you develop the skills and resources you need for lasting healing.

These are just a few pros and cons of therapy. We know that there are many more benefits and barriers, but we want to work with you through them to get you help and healing. Therapy can be difficult to find for many reasons, so we offer therapists with many different skillsets and specialties to best serve our community. Each of our therapists provide services for the entire state of Michigan both in person and virtually. You do not have to navigate healing alone, our therapists are here to help.

For easy judgement-free scheduling, simply call or text our Office Manager Emily Chivis at (616) 284-1329 or email her at echivis@mariposacounselingllc.com

Emily Chivis

Office manager