Anyone Can Benefit from Therapy (Almost)
No, it's not for everyone. But maybe the world would be a much better place if more people gave it a try! Maybe if we have a greater reverence for our psyche and self-awareness, fewer people would see the need to take their pain out on others. Maybe, if people worked through their own pain enough to see the pain in others, fewer people would become so desperate as to enter into work settings or school buildings with guns. Maybe if we took ownership for our own problems, others would do the same and we would see fewer wars. Maybe...
No, therapy is not for everyone ...unfortunately. People rarely benefit from therapy if they don't enter it of their own choice. They also rarely benefit from it if are not committed to making a change. But if more people proudly entered therapy, it would be easier for others to consider it as an option. How different would it be if all our leaders were required to be in psychotherapy? Making sure they are seeing things clearly before making decisions which impact the world?
Once upon a time, therapists almost universally had to enter therapy in order to become a therapist. Now, few new therapists have ever experienced the other side of the couch, so to speak. And many who enter therapy don't take it seriously. Few things make me more concerned about the future of the field of therapy and counseling than this fact. More and more healers have never been healed. Personally, I would not want to see a therapist who had not been through therapy themselves. If therapists really believe in their product, they should be more willing to demonstrate this!
In recent times, Yalom was one of the few therapists who really advocated for this. He maintained that not only should therapist be in therapy before beginning a career as a therapist, but they should regularly attend therapy after becoming a therapist. This is a powerful testimony to the therapy process!
Throughout my career thus far, I've routinely found that the best therapists I've known are the ones who committed to growing themselves, acknowledging their yet unresolved shortcomings, and willing to continue to engage in therapy, supervision, and consultation for continued growth (Click here for one such story). And routinely some of the healthiest people I've know outside of the mental health field are those open to engaging in therapy. More often that not, it is the people the most resistant to therapy that concern me the most.
For people who want to grow and truly live an optimal life, there are few better tools to help them than therapy!