Why is therapy important for your mental health?

Nearly 60 million Americans received mental health treatment in 2023. Mental health awareness has come a long way, and, fortunately, this means that more people are engaging in therapy. While on one hand, rising numbers could be a reflection of growing mental health needs, they’re also reflective of our increased understanding of the benefits of therapy. But why is therapy important for mental health?

Therapy can be an important part of your self-care habits, whether you live with a mental health condition or not. Working with a therapist can also help reduce stress, improve self-esteem, and strengthen your overall resilience.

How can therapy improve your mental health?

Research shows that therapy has many benefits — especially if you live with a mental health condition like depression or anxiety. But therapy can still be beneficial for people who don’t have a diagnosable mental health condition.

Many people may benefit from therapy because it can:

1. Reduce symptoms of depression

Research has shown that therapy is one of the best ways to combat depression symptoms. Therapy — especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — is recommended as a first-choice treatment in many different clinical guidelines, including the American Psychological Association’s clinical practice guideline for depression in adults. CBT can be as effective as medication for depression. Therapy has even been found to reduce suicide attempts by half. 

Therapy for depression isn’t just about talking endlessly about your problems and feelings. It’s about learning new coping skills, getting to the root of your symptoms, and restructuring thinking patterns that may be making you feel worse.

2. Lessen stress and anxiety

Stress is normal, and everyone faces it. But when it’s chronic, it can have negative effects on your mental and physical health. Many people also live with an anxiety disorder, which often requires professional treatment to manage. Therapy — especially CBT — is one of the most effective treatments for anxiety.

Feeling stressed or anxious all the time doesn’t need to be your “normal.” Therapy can provide you with a safe space to talk through what’s triggering your stress and anxiety, make necessary behavior changes, and learn new skills to ease your nervous system. Therapy can also help with symptoms of other anxiety disorders, like social anxiety.

3. Help you process trauma

Therapy is also the most highly recommended treatment method for trauma disorders — including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma is more common than you might think. Reports show that most people around the world will experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. 

While most people recover from these events on their own, some people will develop post-traumatic symptoms. This isn’t a sign of weakness. Rather, it’s often a reflection of how severe the traumatic event was and whether you’d already experienced trauma before the event.

Whether or not you’re living with the symptoms of a trauma disorder, therapy can help you process the traumatic event and find ways to move forward. Talking about trauma with an unqualified listener could put you at risk of retraumatization, so it’s especially important to talk to a licensed therapist, and not just a friend, when dealing with the aftereffects of trauma.

4. Help you build a healthier relationship with food

Whether you live with a diagnosable eating disorder or experience body image issues and disordered eating patterns, therapy can help. So many of us are bombarded with unhealthy messaging about weight and food on social media and throughout our daily lives. It’s important to have a safe space where you can unpack this kind of messaging and build a healthier relationship with food. 

Research has shown that therapy can be one of the most effective treatments for eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder. For example, at least 50% of people with binge-purge habits are able to avoid these behaviors completely with CBT. If your relationship with food is negatively affecting your mental health, therapy can support you in changing this. 

5. Raise self-esteem

Even if you don’t live with any specific mental health condition, therapy can still help you improve your mental health and strengthen your self-esteem. Mental health isn’t just about the absence of mental illnesses. Having a strong sense of self-worth is a sign of positive mental health that goes beyond diagnoses.

A therapist can help you raise your self-esteem by promoting deeper self-awareness. Therapy is a time just for you during which you can work on getting to know yourself on a deeper level. You get the opportunity to reflect on your life experiences and future goals in a safe, confidential setting.

Talking to a friend can also be positive for your self-esteem, but untrained listeners can’t guide the conversation as skillfully as licensed therapists can.

6. Strengthen resilience

Positive self-esteem is also about resilience, or your ability to adapt well to life’s inevitable challenges. Life isn’t perfect for anybody, but having resilience can protect you from developing mental health conditions like depression when you’re put under pressure. 

By going to therapy now, you’re setting yourself up for success in the future. For example, a therapist could help you to learn how to better manage your emotions in healthy ways so that, when a distressing life event comes along, you’re better equipped to handle it.

7. Improve relationships

Mental health isn’t just about how you feel individually. It’s also about how you feel in the context of your connections and the world you live in. Therapy can help you improve the relationships in your life by teaching you healthier communication and conflict-resolution skills and helping you work through relationship dynamics in a safe setting.

Some therapy types — including couples therapy and family therapy — are specifically designed to help you work through specific relationship dynamics with those people present. 

8. Help you develop healthier habits

Lastly, therapy can help you develop better self-care and coping habits. You might be using coping skills to deal with life’s difficulties that are actually making you feel worse. For example, you might be using drugs and alcohol to cope (which can lead to risky decision making or alcohol dependence) or engaging in self-harm (which can get you locked in a vicious cycle). Or you might be prone to emotional eating, which can lead to negative physical health outcomes or drops in mood.

A therapist can not only teach you healthier habits but also help you uncover internal motivation to stick with them.

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What are the different types of therapy for mental health?

Research on therapy has been ongoing for decades, and countless therapy methods have been developed to help with all sorts of mental health concerns.

Therapy can be delivered in four primary settings:

• Individual therapy: You meet one on one with a therapist.
• Couples therapy: You meet with a therapist and your partner(s).
• Family therapy: You and your family members meet with a therapist to explore family dynamics.
• Group therapy: You meet with a therapist and other people who are experiencing similar mental health concerns.

Within these four broad categories of therapy, specific therapy methods include both talk therapy and other types of therapy.

Some of the most common types of talk therapy for mental health include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other therapy methods that fall under the CBT umbrella, including acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP)
• Psychodynamic therapy
• Interpersonal therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

Other therapy techniques for mental health that aren’t considered talk therapy include:

• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
• Somatic experiencing
• Expressive arts therapies

How to get started with your therapy journey

If you’re thinking about starting therapy for your mental health, here are some steps you can take to begin:

1. Think about what you’re looking for in a therapist. There are many types of therapists with different styles and approaches. Reflect on what you’re hoping to gain from therapy. Are you looking to address a specific mental health condition? If so, you may want to find a therapist who specializes in that area. Or maybe you’re seeking a therapist who shares aspects of your identity or has lived experience with similar issues.
2. Consider the cost. Price is often a factor when starting therapy. One way to lower costs is by going through your insurance plan. Talk to potential therapists about what insurance they accept, and check your in-network and out-of-network benefits to understand what’s covered.
3. Make an appointment. The first few sessions are typically about you and the therapist getting to know each other. The therapist may ask questions about your symptoms and experiences, but it’s also a chance for you to ask questions about their style and how the two of you will work together. Be honest with your therapist. Sharing what’s truly on your mind helps them provide the best support.
4. Give it time. Try to attend at least three to four sessions before deciding if the therapist is a good fit. Opening up about your mental health can feel uncomfortable or even scary at first, but it often becomes easier as trust develops between you and your therapist.

Find care with Rula

Whether therapy is “worth it” is a decision only you can make. However, research has shown that it has countless benefits for your mental health, and therapists have helped many people not only overcome mental health conditions but learn to live fulfilling and resilient lives.

At Rula, we’re committed to delivering a comprehensive behavioral health experience that helps people feel seen and understood so they can get back to feeling their best. 

Rula makes it easier to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who accepts your insurance so you don’t have to choose between affordable care and excellent care. With a diverse network of more than 10,000 providers, 24/7 crisis support, and appointments available as soon as tomorrow, we’re here to help you make progress — wherever you are on your mental health journey.

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