THERAPY never seemed like a pleasant experience to me. My mind was only ever able to see two specific images related to therapy (as seen in movies, of course): an image of someone laying on a sofa talking about how things “made them feel” and an image of a person, restrained in a mental institution, resisting their medication.

Both images were unappealing and never encouraged me to seek therapy. You see, like many Jamaicans, my perception on therapy was severely flawed. I did not understand what it was, and my thoughts of it were reflective of what it was not.

With the hopes of helping someone who may be on the fence about and could significantly benefit from speaking to a mental health professional, let me shed some light on what my experience has been related to what therapy is and what it is not.

Therapy is not:

1) Only for “mad people”

We all have moments when we feel somewhat overwhelmed with everything happening around us. Among our population, 4.1 per cent suffers from an anxiety disorder and three per cent have a depressive disorder. Other people may be struggling with substance abuse, grief, and even stress, and therapy can be a healthy outlet to help cope with each of these situations.

2) A life sentence

Going into therapy does not mean you will be in therapy for the rest of your life. Once you have outlined your goals for therapy and actively work with your therapist, you will develop healthy coping strategies to apply on your mental health journey. As you see progress, you can choose to stop and even restart therapy as you wish. You may even “graduate” once your therapist believes you can no longer benefit from their help.

3) Solely talking about how you feel

I’ve been going to therapy, on and off, for a few years and more consistently for the past seven months, and I can’t remember my psychiatrist nor my psychologist ever asking me “how did that make you feel”. Instead, they try to help me understand how my experiences influence my thoughts and how my thoughts influence my emotions and my behaviours.

Therapy is a platform that:

1) Helps you process your experiences, helps you address any self-critical thoughts, helps you reframe your unhealthy thought patterns and helps you cope with and overcome your diagnosed mental disorders.

2) Requires you to work in between sessions in order to see major progress, especially since therapists often recommend tasks or give you something to think about that they think is important for your process.

3) Helps you problem solve through meaningful discussions in which your therapist analyses and unpacks all you’ve shared and then provides some insight and recommendations on how to either reframe thinking or introduces coping strategies to be implemented

While it took two separate therapists, a few years, and several anxiety attacks to get me to fully commit to therapy, my journey in therapy has been truly rewarding, and I am now an advocate for seeking professional help for any mental health struggle.

If you struggle with symptoms of any mental health disorder, consider speaking to a mental health professional who will be able to help you cope with or overcome your illness. All the best!

Sereta Thompson is a public relations professional and mental health advocate. She can be contacted at seretaathompson@gmail.com Follow her on Instagram: @ShadesOfSerri