When did going for 'therapy' become a thing?

[Outofinspiration]

I have noticed increasingly on Instagram etc that more and more people (Instamums and the like) are posting about their 'therapy' sessions. How amazing they are, how everyone should go to therapy blah blah blah. And in real life in the last few weeks 2 of my friends have brought up something their 'therapist' said about this or that.

I thought therapy was an American thing? Is it just a posher, less 'NHS' version of counselling, or is it something different?

Does anyone here go for 'therapy'? Am I missing a trick, is this something I should be doing?!

But I dont really have the time or the money for it to be honest.

There is always time. You make time. As for the money, you can ask for a concession. I got one, as did my ex (and his concession lasted years).

Therapy = Counselling

I’ve been on two separate occasions to help me through two different things. I didn’t want to wait for NHS counselling and group CBT sessions didn’t work.

It cost me £50 an hour. If I could justify spending it every week I would go every week, not because there’s anything specifically wrong at the moment but just talking to someone impartial about life really helps.

I have had therapy on the NHS. I was lucky to have an amazing therapist who worked with me in different ways for different things - trauma focussed therapy, CBT, mindfulness, compassion focussed therapy.she saved my life on more than one occasion.

I am much better now, but found without regular therapy I was struggling to manage my anxiety. I had methods that I had been taught but I missed having a safe space to work through my issues. I then went through a traumatic time, I managed to get through it but was left having panic attacks from time to time. So I went about finding a private therapist who I now see once a month, which I about what I can afford. Yes it’s a luxury but one I’m willing to pay out for as it helps me manage my mental health, keeps me stable and able to function properly at home and at work. It’s not counselling, at the moment we’re working with compassion focussed therapy to try and ease some of my anxiety.

Yes it’s a “thing” and you don’t have to be American to have therapy. Stop being so judgy.

A friend of mine had the type of therapy you're describing for years and years. Not convinced it was particularly good for her, tbh.

There are so many different kinds.

I lie on a couch, but I didn't used to.

Typically, therapy is face-to-face, and analysis or analytical psychotherapy is on the couch.

There are many different modalities, but the ones I know well are 'psychodynamic' in nature, i.e. that we repeat patterns of relating that we 'learned' in our birth families; and we bring them into our current relationships (where we replicate them in different forms - and the more intimate the relationship, the stronger the experience of that replication); and psychotherapy recreates those relationships (unconsciously) in the therapy session in order to bring about change.

This is rarely obvious. At all. At heart, it's just two people talking. (Though you will generally do a lot more talking than your therapist.)

But I dont really have the time or the money for it to be honest.

If you work, your workplace may offer access to some kind of well-being/mental health services for free.

Therapy does NOT = counselling. They are very different.

You can get all sorts of therapy on the NHS, but you need to really need it. Psychotherapy for example is quite hard to access due to limited resources and high cost.
Private therapy isn’t crazy expensive, anywhere from £50-150 an hour depending on where you are/who you go to. If you really need it you find a way. My sister is having EDMR at the moment for about £60 an hour, money will spent for specialist trauma therapy.

And no, therapy doesn’t necessarily mean counselling. Counselling is one type of therapy. There are lots of others, available both privately and on the NHS.

I somehow feel you're not quite articulating exactly what you're really thinking OP.

Do you mean I am really thinking it's expensive bullshit that has become 'fashionable' recently? Like in America where wealthy people go to see their shrink every week? I don't know if I think that. I don't really know what people online etc mean when they say therapy. And I don't know if it's different to counselling, or if counselling just doesn't sound 'posh enough' for want of a better phrase.

'Therapy' = a catch all term.

Therapy is to counselling/CBT/psychotherapy /EMDR/etc

As

Healthcare is to penicillin/ear syringing/open heart surgery/etc

It doesn't tell you anything about the kind of help the person is getting

Therapy and counselling are basically the same thing.

I am firmly of the belief that 97% of people would benefit enormously from therapy, whether they’re willing to admit it or not.

I hope and believe that therapy is becoming more common because people are more aware of their mental health and how important it is to look after it just as you would any physical health.

Actually, I was surprised when I asked the local Mind bloke about private recommendations & he said there was a local publicly funded self-referral service. There are more low cost or free options than you'd think...

In a nutshell, counselling is short-term, practical, and works in the present. Therapy is longer-term, does not offer 'tools', and works on the basis that the past is present and so the past is where the roots to dysfunction lie.

Sorry I cross posted with lots of others there.

What is EMDR, I have not heard of that before.

Counselling works with what is conscious. Most psychotherapy works with what is not conscious.

If you work, your workplace may offer access to some kind of well-being/mental health services for free.

When I was teaching we just got the token 'after school yoga' during which everyone was stressing about what they could be doing instead of yoga!

EMDR is great for trauma (i.e. an attack of some kind or a one-off experience), and not so great for chronic trauma (i.e. systematic/systemic abuse or neglect).

It is essentially a form of cognitive behavioural therapy but with a specific focus.

I started going when I realised I was repeating the same behaviours that my mum had that had caused me so much pain as a child.
That was 10 years ago. I still go. It’s essential for me. I have lived on cheap tinned soup and toast at times to be able to afford it.

Just like anything, it can be amazing and it can be shit - depends on the therapist. And it might be expensive or it might be sensibly priced or free (many employers fund it, so does the NHS).

My son is seeing an excellent play therapist, he is coping much better with life now (my ex was very nasty). At £50/a session it isn't crazy money given how much it has helped in.

Every employer I have worked for has offered paid therapy sessions to help employees through difficult parts of life. (Public and private sector).

I had some shit free therapy the gp referred me to when I was struggling with ante natal depression. Just a counsellor doling out platitudes.

But I saw an amazing psychologist when I was really ill with PND/PTSD and I cannot even put into words how transformative those sessions were.

So I don't think people should sneer at it but I also don't think they should generalise.

If I was filthy rich I would pay for everyone in the family to see a proper psychologist regularly. It's like a medicine for your mind.

I've been going to therapy/counselling on and off my whole adult life for depression and anxiety. Might be dead without it. Have had some on the NHS and am now paying for some .

Counselling works with what is conscious. Most psychotherapy works with what is not conscious.

That is interesting, thank you.

There is no real consensus on whether counselling and (psycho)therapy is the same thing among professionals. Some say yes they’re the same, some are outraged.

I'd say the counsellors say it's the same, and the psychotherapists are outraged, FiveAcorns :)

Also, FiveAcorns gives a good example of the sacrifices some people are willing to make to attend therapy. There is always a way.