Here is how the American Psychological Association defines mental health:
A state of mind characterized by emotional well-being, good behavioral adjustment, relative freedom from anxiety and disabling symptoms, and a capacity to establish constructive relationships and cope with the ordinary demands and stresses of life.
Mental health is not just about feeling good. It’s about resilience. It’s about satisfying relationships. It’s about robust self-esteem.
Mental health clinicians make it their mission live to help you reach these goals, and they use a plethora of tools to help you get there.
1. Mental Health Clinicians Prompt You to Look Within
Maybe you’re struggling with something you don’t understand, or you’re having some vague anxiety or depression that seems like it came out of nowhere.
A clinician will help you realize that mental struggle does not exist in a vacuum, and that there is always a reason for what you’re feeling, even if you don’t know what it is yet.
To address a problem, you need to explore it.
For example, if you’ve been a victim of abuse, then you might be blaming yourself for the pain inflicted on you without realizing it. If this is the case, a clinician can help you dismantle your inaccurate beliefs so you can work toward self-forgiveness.
Clinicians will ask you the questions that will prompt you to…
- Explore your past.
- Examine your relationships.
- Find the roadblocks that prevent you from having a healthy self-esteem.
- Figure out what you really want in life (even if you’ve never asked yourself that question before).
A clinician will always start by asking you the right questions that will allow you to dive deeper into yourself and get to the roots of why you struggle.
2. Mental Health Clinicians Use Evidence-Based Approaches
A clinician is more than just someone to talk to (as valuable as that is!).
They are professionals who know how to open you up in ways you never thought possible.
Here are some examples of highly effective therapeutic techniques a clinician might have you undergo:
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing)
A type of therapy that aims to provide release from trauma by doing exercises that mimic Rapid Eye Movement. - Mindfulness Meditation
A popular assigned treatment for anxiety sufferers that teaches them to focus only on the present moment. - Focusing
A method of addressing blocked emotions for clients who are too analytical and “in their heads.” - ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention)
Guided fear-facing therapy assigned to clients with OCD, anxiety, and phobias. - Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM)
A process of visualization and memory retrieval which has been shown to drastically reduce PTSD symptoms and help process trauma.
Whatever you struggle with, a skilled clinician will have a way to address it.
3. Mental Health Clinicians Don’t Dismiss Your Pain
If you struggle with your mental health, then you understand that internal struggle can be difficult to explain to others.
Maybe people have told you in the past that “you don’t have real problems” or “you’re too sensitive.” Hearing ignorant comments like this may have caused you to bury whatever was bothering you deep down, and try to put on a tough face for the world.
Clinicians know that suffering comes in all forms, and that one instance of pain or trauma can affect someone for a lifetime if they don’t address it.
That’s why they will always listen what you have to say, and they will take it seriously.
You can share your worst moments, biggest mistakes, and most difficult experiences, and all they will see is the courage it takes to be that vulnerable.
Remember: Therapy is not just casual conversations about your week and your moods. It’s solution focused. It’s about getting to the bottom of things. No matter what’s bothering you, it is a clinician’s job to make you feel safe enough to speak about it.
4. Mental Health Clinicians Give You the Tools to Stand On Your Own
You can work with a clinician for as long as you need to, but their ultimate objective will always be to get you out of survival mode and into thriving mode.
For example, you might work with a clinician on some traumatic aspect of your past and make massive progress. But, there will be times outside of sessions when those old issues crop up again, and you will have to deal with them alone.
The job of a clinician is to prepare you for these moments and make you resilient enough to handle them.
They will teach you…
- Methods of self-relaxation like meditation.
- Different ways to monitor your anxiety levels.
- How to not get carried away by difficult emotions.
- How to practice self-compassion.
- How to identify problems or limiting beliefs about yourself.
- How to deal with specific people or problems in your life that you encounter regularly.
Therapy is not just about making someone happier. It’s about making them strong. In becoming resilient, you build your self-esteem and forge an internal foundation of self-reliance.
5. Mental Health Clinicians Remind You That Your Life Matters
Not everyone has people in their lives to remind them that they are loveable, or that they matter.
People who are averse to working with clinicians like to say that therapy is just paying someone to talk to you and care about your problems.
Working with a mental health clinician is not “hiring someone to care.” People don’t get into this line of work because they don’t genuinely care about helping others.
Clinicians make it their life’s mission to alleviate suffering, and to remind every client that they are significant, even if they’ve never felt that way in their lives.
They teach you that happiness and self-worth are real things, even when they feel thousands of miles away.
Are You Still Apprehensive About Trying Therapy?
No perceived stigma around therapy or fear of vulnerability should stop you from seeking help.
It’s brave to admit your faults, analyze your past, and make the decision to get better.
A quality mental health clinician will…
- Get you to examine yourself in ways you never have before.
- Use science-backed methods to alleviate your troubles, whatever they might be.
- Will never dismiss your pain, and will accept you as you are no matter what issues you’re struggling with.
- Give you the best tools to manage your emotions and thrive long after you leave a session.
- Will remind you that you matter, and that no matter where you are in life, no one is beyond change.
If you’re ready to finally stop suffering, then let someone guide you in the right direction.
