“You need therapy” is a phrase often used as an insult or a joke, which makes many people assume that therapy is bad or something to be ashamed of. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. However, due to the stigma against mental health issues and services, it’s common for people to assume they should only go to therapy in extreme circumstances or that going to therapy means they’re broken. People often assume that so long as they have loved ones to lean on and can function in their day-to-day life, they don’t need therapy. 

These misconceptions lead to many people suffering in silence instead of getting the help that they need. People are incredibly resilient, but everyone needs help to process things and to deal with hard emotions and situations. When you go to therapy, it provides you with the tools you need in order to manage your thoughts and emotions so that you can lead a happier life. 

Therapy is one of those things that never hurts to try – you don’t need a big reason to go, and it’s a safe, confidential environment for you to talk about what’s going on in your life. If you’re questioning whether or not you should go to therapy, rest assured that you can seek it out at any time. It’s there to help you with whatever issues you may have, regardless of whether or not you have a mental health condition or have suffered trauma. 

Here’s what you need to know about why people go to therapy, as well as signs that indicate that you could potentially benefit from it.

Why Do People Go To Therapy?

People go to therapy for many reasons, from needing help with a mental illness, to having family or relationship issues, to suffering trauma or grief, to experiencing a significant life change, and more. Therapy is designed to help make your life better. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a serious reason to go to therapy or benefit from it. The decision to start therapy is a highly personal one and varies greatly depending on the person. 

Some people go to therapy because they feel overwhelmed, others because they feel like they don’t have anyone they can talk to or like they’ve run out of resources, others because they’re ready for a change, and others still because they just feel like they need help.

There are many, many reasons why people go to therapy, and they are all of them valid. Therapy gives you the tools you need to handle life better and can help to improve the symptoms of many different mental health conditions. As such, people find it beneficial to go to therapy for help with everything from life challenges to mental illnesses to emotional difficulties and more.

Should I Go To Therapy?

Knowing whether or not you should go to therapy can be challenging. After all, everyone experiences challenges. How do you know whether or not you should seek out professional help with said challenges? 

While you don’t need a big reason to go to therapy and if you want to try it, that’s good enough to give it a shot, here are some of the factors that indicate you could potentially benefit from going to therapy. 

Signs You Could Benefit From Therapy

It’s not always clear to see whether you should go to therapy or not. But here are some signs that talking to a therapist could be beneficial to you.

#1. You Can’t Change A Negative Pattern

It can be incredibly demoralizing to set an intention to do better only to fail every time we try. Therapy can help you understand what’s holding you to your negative pattern, help you find what’s keeping you from making progress, and celebrate the victories with you, encouraging you to build lasting habits. 

#2. You’re Feel Overwhelmed

Whether there’s a lot going on in your life right now or you’re struggling with strong emotions that you can’t manage, therapy can help you sort through your feelings and provide you with the necessary tools to manage what’s going on better.

#3. You’re Avoiding People

Mental health issues can lead you to avoid social situations and cause you to withdraw from your loved ones and avoid dealing with people. Therapy can help you sort through why this is and provide you with necessary support so you can build those relationships again.

#4. You’re Relying On Substances To Cope

Sex, alcohol, drugs, and other substances may help you feel better initially, but they won’t fix the underlying issues that made you turn to them for escapism. Therapy provides a healthy, long-term solution to help you manage whatever you’re trying to escape from.

#5. You Don’t Care About Anything

It’s very common for people with depression to stop caring about their lives. If you’ve lost interest in the things you used to enjoy, a therapist can help you understand why life isn’t enjoyable anymore and figure out how to help you enjoy it again.

#6. You’re Going Through A Major Life Event

Change is a part of life, but some are hard to navigate on our own. If you’ve recently lost someone, lost a job, are going through a divorce, have been or are currently experiencing trauma, if you go to therapy, the therapist can help you work through it.

#7. People Are Worried About You

If your actions are affecting those around you or they’re expressing concerns about your welfare, it could be a good idea to go to therapy to sort through what is going on and help you develop healthy relationships, with yourself and with those around you.

These are but some of the reasons why people go to therapy. Regardless of whether you are experiencing something listed above or not, if you feel like you could benefit from therapy, it is always a good idea to try it.

Are You Considering Going To Therapy?

Ogden Psychological Services provides individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, and other mental health services, such as neurofeedback therapy. If you are considering whether you should go to therapy, we can help. Contact us for an intake and let us help you work towards a happier, more fulfilling life.

There are so many different medications and types of therapy out there, and it can be exhausting trying to find the right combination for you. Many people don’t like the idea of taking medication for mental illnesses, nor do they like the idea of talking to a stranger about their most intimate personal problems and thoughts, even if said stranger is sworn to confidentiality. Regardless of whether or not that’s you, in your search for the best treatment option for you, you may consider neurofeedback therapy. 

Neurofeedback therapy works by providing a non-invasive treatment method for brain-based conditions, like many mental illnesses, that works with your brain to help it develop healthier patterns of activity. With how it isn’t the most common treatment, many people wonder whether or not neurofeedback therapy works or if it’s just another fad. If it did, wouldn’t it be much more widespread? 

Here’s what you need to know about what neurofeedback therapy is, how neurofeedback therapy works, and whether or not it’s a treatment method that can help you. 

What Is Neurofeedback Therapy?

Neurofeedback therapy, also known in the medical world as electroencephalography (EEG), is a non-invasive treatment method that controls and measures your brain waves. Neurofeedback therapy works to encourage your brain to build healthier pathways and change your brain’s structure in order for it to function better and improve your thought patterns and your feelings. 

It does this through giving your brain the support it needs in order to adapt and change to healthier functioning, through a property known as neuroplasticity. Neurofeedback therapy works by essentially retraining your brain by speaking to it in its own language: with brain waves.

What Are Your Brain Waves?

As mentioned previously, neurofeedback therapy works by speaking to your brain in its own language. Your brain waves are how your brain communicates. In general, your fast brain waves, also known as gamma and beta waves, are associated with focus, alertness, and concentration. Your slower brain waves, such as alpha and theta waves, are associated with relaxation, memory, and creativity. 

When you have a mental illness, your brain waves patterns can get disrupted, which leads to symptoms such as anxiety, if you have too much fast brain wave activity, or ADHD, if you have too much slow brain wave activity. Neurofeedback therapy works to regulate your brain wave activity so that your brain can function properly again.

Does Neurofeedback Therapy Change Who You Are?

Most people hear that neurofeedback therapy works by retraining your brain and get startled and alarmed, thinking that this means it will change who you are as a person. No need to fear! Neurofeedback therapy doesn’t change who you are; it only helps your brain communicate in a healthier, more balanced way by forming better pathways and regulating your brain waves. It won’t change your personality or interests or anything or the sort.

How Does Neurofeedback Therapy Work?

Neurofeedback therapy works by measuring your brain waves and providing feedback. When you have neurotherapy, you’ll typically watch a video or play a game while wearing a band or cap with electrodes on it that will measure your brain wave activity, no needles involved. As you watch your movie or play your game, the EEG will monitor your brain waves in order to regulate them accordingly. 

It does this by providing audio-visual feedback which reinforces positive brain wave activity in line with your treatment goals. For example, if your thoughts go in negative directions, your screen will dim, and then it will brighten with your thoughts. This can happen hundreds of times in a single 60 minute session, training your brain to associate the brighter screen with positive emotions and better focus. Over time, this causes your brain to create new pathways in order to more easily achieve these sensory rewards. 

The immediate response of the screen to your brain’s activity helps your brain learn what it needs to do to keep the screen bright. Over the course of 40 or so treatments, your brain becomes more balanced and efficient through the neuroplasticity process. This reinforces positive thought patterns and better brain wave regulation.

Conditions Neurofeedback Therapy Can Help

Neurofeedback therapy can help a wide range of conditions. Given that we use our brain waves for everything we do, neurofeedback therapy works for many different brain-based disorders and issues, such as:

• Mental illnesses
• Developmental delays
• Behavior disorders
• Neurological issues
• Brain injuries
• Peak performance

Risks Of Neurofeedback Therapy

Everything has risks associated with it. Since neurofeedback therapy is non-invasive, the side effects usually consist of things such as: sleepiness, headaches, brain fog, nightmares, anxiety, and insomnia. So long as you see a professional who knows how to use their equipment correctly, you won’t have to worry about whether or not neurofeedback therapy is harmful. 

Does Neurofeedback Therapy Really Work?

In short, yes, but it depends on the person. Everyone reacts differently to everything, after all. Whether or not neurofeedback therapy works for you depends on whether or not it is a good fit for your condition or whether or not the right system for their needs is being used. There are several studies that support the fact that neurofeedback therapy works and is an effective treatment method to improve your brain function and structure. 

Are You Considering Trying Neurofeedback Therapy?

Ogden Psychological Services offers professional neurofeedback therapy. Our goal is to help you find relief from your symptoms and enjoy life again. We’ve found that neurofeedback therapy helps many of our patients find their way to a healthier, happier life. Contact us today to learn more about neurofeedback therapy or to set up an appointment.