What is the obsession with therapy/counselling?

Therapy is needed more and more these days because we have lost communities and connections that look out for one another IMHO

That has nothing to do with actual therapy, though. That’s just magazine pop psychology used by people who don’t understand what they’re saying. It’s a modern equivalent of ‘I’m allergic to spinach’ when what you mean is ‘I don’t like spinach’.

I hate all the therapy speech... "I can't eat crisps, they are so triggering"

I think of all the quiet suffering there was years ago, when people had to keep their problems to themselves and conform. When they couldn’t even acknowledge that they had a problem, that they felt unhappy. Any trauma was just not referred to, whether war experiences, stillbirths or adoptions, grieving. “Just get on with it.” “Ignore it and it will go away.”

It was also far worse when people lived in small, closed communities.

There has been so much written about the damage that did, so many books written and films made, that I do wonder what it is that makes the OP so uncomfortable and dismissive.

I agree

Oh trust me I gave it a very clear insight objectives and challenged it from multiple angles daily. Not advocating for the masses as it could be highly delusion inducing but in all honesty it's a great tool if used responsibility

I haven’t read the full thread. I’d have loved someone to tell me I just needed to read or play piano when I buried my baby. I’d probably have kicked them into the grave with her, except I was so heartbroken I couldn’t.
good on the therapy refusers - they have “things from the past”and don’t we all etc.
Not everyone has buried a child.
Not everyone has been raped or sexually assaulted and not believed by friends or a million other things that a positive outlook alone matches them through life unscathed.

I’ve never seen anyone suggesting therapy for any of the things you mentioned.

That said, while self care like exercise, cold water swimming, giving up drinking, improving my sleep, joining a support group all have helped me tremendously, they couldn’t help me make sense of experiences of abuse and other traumas. Therapy was incredibly beneficial and I only needed it short term (6 months or so). I’m incredibly grateful.

You can’t exercise yourself out of trauma, but it can be part of the healing process.

That said, I don’t think this is super new. I grew up in the 90s and many of my friends, myself included, were sent to therapists. It seems to be the thing to do when you’re screwing your kid up and you can’t see it, but you’re middle class and can throw money at the problem. 😂

I don't use it for such purposes myself, but you can instruct it to be 'objective' (or other suitable instructions).

To be honest lost counselling is a waste of money and time , I see more issues from it that what it helps . It’s a American thing and was bound to become fashion over the pond

Unfortunately there are a lot of grifters out there in the therapy and counselling world. I've had a few bad experiences and because of this I wouldn't recommend private therapy or counselling to anyone.

I agree, it's a very old-fashioned mindset that I had hoped was fading into the past.

OP, why so hostile about something you don't feel you need? If you're fine without it, why is it taking up any of your mental space?

Tbh, your posts show quite a high level of ignorance about therapy and why people might need and benefit from it, as do a few other posts on the thread. You're not displaying very much emotional intelligence/insight or empathy in your posts, and you seem to be confusing what therapy does with coaching. They're different.

I found it utterly life-changing, though I do appreciate others don't always have a positive experience, and not all therapists are good. My therapist was amazing. At one point when we were working together and discussing the person in my family who is difficult, she made the observation that it's usually the 'wrong' people in the family who go to therapy, in that it's never the ones who are damaging others who go (why would they, there's clearly nothing wrong with them, it's everyone else who's the problem...) - it's always the ones who are damaged who go to therapy to try to heal.

Maybe something for you to ponder.

I hope anyone reading this who is considering therapy, or who is attending therapy won’t feel belittled or shamed. Different therapies can be remarkably effective in certain situations and no one should feel shame for reaching out for help.

This attitude that everyone should be able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps belongs firmly in the last century where it inflicted so much harm. We don’t expect people to ignore advances in medicine or dentistry or physiotherapy. Why should people be shamed for availing of therapies like CBT and ACT with proven outcomes?

I largely agree with this.

i think there are times when counselling/therapy can be beneficial but Im amazed at the first post on this thread which says they've never seen it suggested for anything thats not valid!!!

Ive seen it suggested for completely inappropriate things like someone just not liking something or wanting to do something which really has no effect on their life but which other people think isnt normal, or isnt right!!!!

My experience and observation has been that what happens in the US eventually makes its way over to the UK - and therapy is just one the things we've adopted.

I'm old enough to remember when we Brits used to be bemused by the prevalence of therapy in the United States. It seemed that everyone there had a therapist and, to us on this side of the pond, it seemed rather odd and definitely not the sort of thing that would ever catch on over here...

I also remember when we felt the same way about drive-thrus, baby showers, school proms, nursery graduation ceremonies and trick-or-treating. We were also amazed by American portion sizes and how very overweight many of its citizens were becoming.

Exactly these type of people always think theyre fine and they got on with it but if you ask friends/ family/colleagues you get a different story about that person

Exactly these type of people always think theyre fine and they got on with it but if you ask friends/ family/colleagues you get a different story about that person

I’ve had therapy in the past and what I’ve learned is that I don’t need therapy, so money well spent.

I recently said to a good friend that perhaps we needed therapy about some shared issues we have and her response was “no, just keep it buried, and don’t let it resurface. Works for me”.

I’ve got to say, it’s working so far 😂

Well, the alternative for me was to continue doing all these things and have six sessions of therapy to help me figure out why I was feeling overwhelmed, what external beliefs I internalised as my own which led me to experiencing what I was experiencing, how to challenge them, how to set boundaries, how to actually feel better for setting boundaries, how to allow myself to rest without feeling guilty etc. etc.
And not once did we bring up the past or blamed my parents.
People go to therapy for many reasons. It doesn't have to take years, it doesn't have to happen because we can't function at all. But if you can function better having explored some of the unhelpful coping behaviours you acquired as a course of your life, why wouldn't you?
At the end of the day, it's up to me how to spend my money.

Depends on the individual. You've got your own approach. My issue was with that poster applying her opinions to everyone.

This is precisely why, as a qualified therapist, I am trying my best to escape it!

The alternative is to sort the problem out by taking time for yourself.