Going to the dentist, doctor, massage therapist, chiropractor, and optometrist are all things many of us do often to remain healthy. Making an appointment with any of the aforementioned practitioners is generally ‘no big deal,’ for many of us. We know what to expect and how treatment will take place under the care of these practitioners and, therefore, we make and attend appointments with them, often without a second thought. For example, we know that when we go to a general dental appointment, the hygienist may take x-rays and check and clean our teeth, followed by an examination by the dentist who tells us if we have any cavities or need to make sure to floss each night. But when it comes to seeking help for our mental health, many of us have no idea what to expect when it comes to attending therapy/counselling.
Talking to a stranger about our most personal, scary and painful thoughts and feelings can be incredibly frightening for a number of reasons. Unlike many of the important and highly trained healthcare professions mentioned previously, therapists and counsellors are some of the most misunderstood practitioners, both in terms of the services they provide and what they are like as people…. Both professionally and personally. Despite ‘how far the importance mental health care’ has come over the past 20 years in terms of campaigns aiming to destigmatize seeking mental health care and informing the public how to access therapy and counselling, many misconceptions and myths surrounding therapy and counselling remain. As a mental health practitioner myself, it has been shocking to me, since I began working in the field, what the general public believes, and does not know, about therapy, counselling and the practitioners themselves. I think it’s more important than ever that the general public know what the facts of therapy and counselling are and that’s what I am to do in this article!
*(for the purposes of this article, I will use the term ‘therapy’ to refer to both therapy and counselling (both are basically interchangeable terms). Below are, in my opinion, the Top 8 Myths and Misconceptions about therapy:

1) Therapy is only for ‘crazy’ or ‘weak’ people

This could not be further from the truth. People go to therapy for a multitude of reasons. Not everyone who seeks therapy is necessarily severely depressed, suicidal, has a personality disorder or is traumatized. While most registered therapists are skilled enough to help those experiencing such issues, they also see many people who are seeking help for such things as stress management, relationship/interpersonal issues and life transitions (E.g. looking for or starting a new career). In fact, a number of people who feel perfectly fine emotionally attend therapy for personal development, to find ways to improve their lives and to learn more about themselves as people. As many clients who visit my office say – ‘I think everyone should go to therapy at some point in their lives!’
Believe it or not, the strongest and bravest people… those who are the furthest from being ‘weak,’ make the sometimes very difficult decision to go to therapy. It is extremely brave when someone decides to tackle and discuss the most difficult and private aspects of their personal lives, let alone with a ‘stranger’ (therapist). Those who remain ‘weak’ are the ones who portray a tough exterior, when they are truly hurting deep inside.

2) Therapists are like a ‘friend’ who gives you advice

When therapists receive their degrees and become registered in their profession, they must abide by a set of ethics (much like the ‘do no harm’ oath a medical doctor takes when they graduate) in their practice. Having a personal or romantic relationship with someone, who is currently a therapist’s client, is not only frowned upon, but violates a therapist’s ethical duty and rules/regulations set forth by their regulatory college (E.g. Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers). It is also not healthy for the client to be ‘friends’ or the romantic ‘partner’ of a therapist for a number of reasons. Some including:
*Transference (the feelings created in the therapist by the client) and Countertransference (the feelings that the client has for the therapist – E.g. Love/romance). I encourage you to google these terms for further clarity.
*Therapists play a unique role in a client’s life. One that is nothing like that of a friend, family member or romantic partner. Therapists must remain non-judgemental and place the well-being of the client above all else.
*Professional regulatory ethics/regulations aside, it is not appropriate or healthy to provide payment to someone to be a friend or romantic partner. Those needs must be met outside of the therapy office and not with the practitioner providing therapy services. If a client does have romantic feelings for their therapist, we actually encourage clients to be honest about this as it can be ‘worked through’ in therapy and can be a healthy matter to address.

3) Therapy never ends

As a practitioner who works out of a private (for-profit) clinic, it is not uncommon for me, and other practitioners in my office, to hear directly from clients, and while out in the community, that there is a fear and apprehension to go to therapy as it is ‘expensive’ and ‘goes on for a long time.’ I always make it a point in my first session with a new client to explain not only what was stated above, but also that the majority of therapy clients only require, on average, 6 to 8 sessions to address most issues. Therapists who practice ethically are transparent and honest with their clients as they approach session 6-8 and discuss with the client if therapy will/should come to an end at that point or should continue (E.g. with bi-weekly or monthly sessions). Ethical and truly caring therapists are not ‘just in it for the money’ and truly want their clients to improve and ‘feel better’ as soon as possible. As I often say to my clients – “The goal of therapy isn’t to keep you here forever, but to provide you with the tools to live a happier and heathier life.”

4) Therapists just passively sit there, listen to, judge and analyze you

I fully admit that when I was a teenager watching the show Fraser (a sitcom focused on a therapist with a call-in radio show who takes each call by stating – “I’m listening”) or movies where a therapist is portrayed as a stereotypical ‘analyst’…. A middle aged male wearing a vest and fancy glasses sitting in a chair with his legs crossed asking the ‘patient’ who is laying on a couch to recall a traumatic experience from their childhood…, made me believe that being a therapist was ‘easy’… because you just mostly ‘listen.’ I quickly realized in graduate school that this is far from the truth!

While therapists do spend a significant amount of time listening while in a sessions with clients, they do not negatively judge or ‘analyze.’ When one becomes a therapist, they learn in graduate school what are referred to as Carl Rogers’ ‘Core Conditions,’ which include: Genuineness, Unconditional Positive Regard (being accepted by the therapist without judgement) and Empathy. These core principles must always be practiced by a therapist towards a client. When you visit a therapist today, you will not be asked to lay down on a couch, look at ‘Ink Blots’ and make guesses on what ‘one sees’ (a very, very small number of practices still take part in this exercise) and be willing to be ‘analyzed.’ Therapists today, unless marketed as a ‘psychoanalyst,’ DO NOT analyze their clients, but instead utilize a number of effective tools (sometimes referred to as ‘modalities’), such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, to assist clients with their issues.

5) Just by going to therapy, one ‘gets better’

FALSE. I quickly came to realize during my first week working in this field years ago that possibly the biggest misconception surrounding therapy is that if one simply attends their appointments and talks, they will ‘get better.’ Yes, the ‘talk therapy’ aspect of therapy is essential in one’s healing, but another extremely important aspect of therapy that leads to success for the client is what many therapists refer to as ‘homework.’ No, this is not like the homework one receives in high school, but it is important for clients to know that therapy not only takes work on the part of the therapist, but also on the part of the client! The ‘homework’ a therapist provides could include exercises related to cognitive behavioural strategies (E.g. addressing ‘distorted thinking’ for those experiencing anxiety or low mood).

6) Therapists are often ‘crazy themselves’ or do their job to fix their own problems

This has been a common joke people have made for many years. Some believe this because, well yes, some therapist’s may be ‘eccentric,’ but this does not mean they are ‘crazy’ or unfit to provide ethical, effective and quality services. That being said, it is very common for therapists to have had their own personal struggles in life, like most of us experience at some point, with their own mental health and having faced some sort of adversity. That is why many therapists get into the field because they are compassionate, empathetic and caring people who want to help others. And while many people may believe it would signal a ‘red flag’ if they knew their therapist had, or is currently, seeing a therapist themselves, this should not be alarming in the least. This shows that one’s therapist is making sure that they are staying mentally healthy enough themselves so that that can continue to provide quality services to their clients.

Therapists are taught in school during their master’s practicum (similar to a residency for a medical doctor) that it is not only frowned upon, but is an ethical duty, to not speak about clients with friends, family, acquaintances or coworkers. At times, therapists do consult with each other, or their supervisors, about their clients, BUT, this is done with confidentiality in mind. No names are mentioned and only pertinent information is discussed, most times in order to better serve clients and educate each other. Also, once therapists are registered (in the United States this is referred to as ‘licenced’), they are also bound by the rules and regulations of their regulatory college (E.g. College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario). If rules, such as client confidentiality, are broken, therapists are reprimanded or, at times, will have their registration completely revoked and may be banned from practicing therapy.

7) The only ‘good therapists’ are psychologists and psychiatrists

Make no mistake, Registered Psychologists and Psychiatrists are the most educated of all practitioners who provide therapy and they are highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals. But, it is important to understand the difference between what each practitioner is skilled in and provides when it comes to therapy. In Ontario, psychologists have PhD’s or PsyD’s (doctorates) and may not only provide therapy, but assessment services (psychometric testing), work on research and/or work in consulting. Psychiatrists in Ontario are medical doctors trained in the medicine and treatment of mental health disorders. Some psychiatrists offer therapy services, but many focus on the medicine aspect/medical treatment of mental health exclusively. When one ‘Google’s’ ‘therapy’ or ‘counselling,’ a vast majority of service providers that pop up will hold master’s degrees in such subjects as Counselling Psychology, Psychotherapy, Clinical Psychology, or Social Work. These practitioners, while not permitted to diagnose, are highly skilled in treating a vast number of mental health concerns. The titles these practitioners hold include: Registered Psychotherapist (RP), Registered Psychological Associate, or Master of Social Work (MSW/RSW). Many of these practitioners may also refer to themselves as ‘Clinicians.’ So while I encourage anyone to visit a Registered Psychologist or Psychiatrist (especially if this comes at the recommendation of their primary care physician), ‘master’s level’ therapists are highly educated, trained and skilled in providing therapy as well.

Jordon is a counsellor and coach at Brant Mental Health Solutions, located at 139 Grand River St. N. in Paris, Ontario. Jordon holds a Master of Arts in Counselling, is a Certified Coach Practitioner and is currently working under the supervision of a Registered Social Worker. Jordon specializes in helping clients manage stress, overcome anxiety, low mood, interpersonal issues and difficult life transitions.
www.brantmentalhealth.com