Why do so many people not go to therapy?

Many people do not actually want to do the work to change what they are struggling with, but merely want to go to therapy to vent every week, without wanting to develop more self-awareness and/or apply this to their life. Therapists are not magicians, and therefore cannot help a person change anyone else besides the client.

Is the covid-19 vaccine a conspiracy theory repurposed for vaccines?

Of course, this, too, is an old antivaccine conspiracy theory repurposed for COVID-19 vaccines. Indeed, I was writing about this nine years ago, at least, when antivaccine conspiracy theorist John Rappaport wrote essentially the same thing about the H1N1 vaccine, namely that it was a plot to depopulate the world.

Do you make more progress with one therapist than another?

A person might make faster progress with one therapist over another, or might eventually outgrow their therapist, and be ready for a new kind of therapy to work on a different or more in depth set of goals after completing some earlier work.

Can a therapist change a person?

Therapists are not magicians, and therefore cannot help a person change anyone else besides the client. The client drops out of treatment. Real change and psychotherapy can be hard, emotional, long, and sometimes expensive.

Why bother seeing a therapist when you can just talk to friends?

Sometimes people ask me why they should bother seeing a therapist when they can just talk to their friends. Friends know your history, you’re comfortable together, and you trust and care for each other. Friends don’t expect to get paid either, and you can meet socially instead of making an office appointment.

Why do people go to therapy?

Other people may have trouble getting along with people at work, difficulty making friends, or feelings of loneliness. Therapy is really good at helping people with all kinds of relationships, because it is a kind of test relationship—you get to receive feedback while trying out new ways of being in a safe environment.

Should I talk to my friends and my family?

Of course you should talk to your friends and your family. It’s important to find support when times are hard. Therapy doesn’t supplant friendship —but then again, friendship can’t do the work of psychotherapy, either.