Therapy: An Investment in Yourself
Have you considered starting therapy, but looked at a therapist's rates and decided you can’t afford it?
Think about all of the things you spend money on: perhaps an accountant or financial advisor, a personal trainer, professional development courses, parenting classes, an energy healer, a nutritionist, or a business coach. If none of that resonates with you, surely you go to the doctor and the dentist, take your car to the mechanic, buy books on your topics of interest, and happily spend money when that really cool thing you’ve been waiting for finally comes out (the latest iphone, those cute new boots, a Peloton Tread…).
We all spend money on the things that we value. A bank statement says a lot about what is important to us. Some people have high expenditures for things for their kids- activities, clothes, toys, private schools, and so on. Some people pay a lot every month for their beautiful home that they keep immaculate. Some people love to travel and rack up free air miles on their credit cards. I know someone who was happy to move out of her fully paid off comfortable home and move into an RV, with the arrangement that she could convert a garage into a library for her thousands of books. The money spent on those books shows what she values- education and the joy of learning.
Take a moment to consider something you spend money on, and what it brings into your life. Does that thing or experience fill you with joy? Does it make your life easier? Does it make you feel safer? Is it important to someone you love and you like to see them happy?
Now consider that the quality of our primary relationships with our loved ones is one of the key determinants of life satisfaction and happiness. Learning ways to communicate, set healthy boundaries, and identify and express vulnerable feelings is vital to the health of our long-term relationships. Your family of origin may not have modeled safety or the productive sharing of feelings. You may have learned that self-preservation meant taking care of others, but never learned to care for yourself. Or you may have learned that taking care of others is the only way to feel worthy of love.
The even more vital relationship that is key to your happiness and success is your relationship with yourself. Can you look in the mirror and say “I love you?” Do you know you are worthy and enough no matter what is happening in your life and what you’ve gone through?
For couples in distress, *marital therapy can provide a much cheaper alternative than initiating a divorce process. Marriage counseling can serve as a platform to renew the love and respect that your relationship was founded upon. For families with young children who are experiencing instability in the home, or exhibiting emotional distress or acting out behaviors, putting in the work and the resources today may mean less money and time spent on other interventions in the future.
If it’s important to you to learn skills and to heal from the hurts in your past so that you can develop deep and close relationships with loved ones, then you may want to consider how therapy can be a valuable investment. Therapy is an opportunity to put your time and money into the most important relationships in our lives, create a new framework and lens on how we see the world, and most importantly, invest in ourselves.
Therapy is an investment in lifelong change. While interventions such as medication act within a few weeks on the neurotransmitters on the brain, once you remove the medication you may not experience lasting changes. The process of psychotherapy may take longer to take effect, but through cognitive re-patterning we can create new neural pathways in the brain. We can create new habits around communication, love, thoughts, and behaviors, for change that can last over the course of our lives.
You may still wonder how a person can achieve all of those results with therapy. Isn’t therapy just talking to someone? Can’t you talk to a friend or a mentor for free? Or maybe you’re afraid a therapist will tell you what to do or try to convince you to believe something that goes against your values or beliefs.
Unfortunately, misunderstandings such as these keep some people from getting help. Therapists do much more than listen to clients talk. A therapist can help you identify patterns of thoughts and behaviors, identify your own unhelpful patterns and cycles, help you clarify your own values, and suggest tools to help you live more in alignment with those values. They do not tell you what to do, but instead use their knowledge and experience to empower you to gain the confidence, knowledge, and skills to become the best version of yourself. They are guides and co-pilots who help you tap into your own inner wisdom, resilience, and find your own path to achieve your deepest desires.
Marriage & Family Therapists have a master’s degree in clinical psychology and specialized training in family systems and relationships. They must have at least 3000 hours of counseling experience before they can sit for their licensing exams. Throughout the course of their careers, they continue to attend trainings, and learn how the human mind works, why humans do what we do, and how to best help people change in the ways they want to change.
At Root to Rise Therapy, we have therapists trained in:
Attachment Theory
Yoga
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy
Humanistic and Strengths Based Approach
Existential Approach
Psychodynamic Approach
And more!
We all get to decide what is valuable to us, and we spend money on the things that are valuable because they provide us with benefits that we would not have otherwise: joy, peace, freedom, an easier life, more time, a feeling of safety, close and warm relationships, and so on.
Instead of asking yourself , “Can I afford therapy?” consider asking instead, “Can I afford to live the same way I have been living? Would it be worth it to invest in myself, so that I can create satisfying and fulfilling relationships, and live a life that I love?”
If the money is a hot-button or triggering issue for you, you are not alone! Check out this post on Money Psychology and how to transform your relationship to money.
You may also want to check with your insurance company about reimbursing you for therapy, which can help make therapy more affordable and accessible. This blog post walks you through the questions to ask to get the most out of your insurance plan.
We welcome you to give us a call and ask any questions you have! Our Client Care Coordinator can hear your concerns and desires, and match you with a therapist who is the best fit for your needs.
Warmly,
Emily
Client Care Coordinator
*Marital therapy is not recommended for couples where abuse is present. If you are in danger, please call 911 or your local domestic violence shelter. If you are not sure if you are being abused, individual therapy can help you identify patterns of behavior and decide how to move forward.
