Why does therapy have such a stigma?

You’ve heard the stereotypical description of a therapist. This may prevent you from considering therapy as an effective resource for mental health. Maybe you don’t believe in it, and think it’s just for profit. You are skeptical of the benefits, and even more skeptical of the therapist themselves. Maybe you are suspicious, potentially even untrustful of mental health professionals. 

You’ve been feeling anxious, maybe even angry or irritated. Something major has happened to you, and you’re not sure if you’re processing it correctly. You’re struggling to cope with something, yet are in denial about needing help. You know you need someone to be there for you and listen. However, you’re skeptical to hire someone random – a stranger – to do that for you. Maybe you’re from a generation where you were told to “tough it out” or not show emotions that represent weakness. 

You may believe there is no need for therapy, and that there are other ways that someone can heal themselves. 

It is true that everyone has the power within themselves to heal. Many people are missing self awareness. Without this insight you may not be sure what is leading to the hurt.

The unfortunate reality is that patients have been treated poorly by therapists in the past, This has lead many people to make these conclusions and further generalizations. They no longer have trust in the mental health system and think it’s just a scam. 

Maybe you grew up with a family who didn’t believe in therapy, and constantly berated it in front of you. Or, your partner has always been hesitant to start couples therapy in fears of nothing getting done. Religion, culture, or other social factors may have led to therapy being seen as a luxury, not a necessity.

There are reports of therapists falling asleep during sessions. Or cancelling in times of need, not providing genuine care, and not listening to what the client is saying. There are therapists who do not follow ethical codes to attend to their patients needs. Therefore sabotaging the true experience of therapy.

On television and media, therapists are usually portrayed as snobby. They are portrayed as, judgmental individuals who rolls their eyes at your pain or do not take it seriously. They may be shown as the villain, the antagonist – the one who eventually makes your problems worse by not listening to you or trying to comprehend your feelings. 

Simi Psychological Group is far from this standard. In fact, we have our own standards that we value and practice everyday.

Our mission is to reach the root of your struggles so you can create lasting change in your and your families lives. We know that you have full control to live the life you want and deserve, which will then ripple into the community and the world.

Here at Simi Psychological Group, we value you. We value your family. Therapy sessions for us are not a quick buck. We genuinely care about you, your life, and your progress. When you invest yourself into us, we invest ourselves right back into you. 

We have core values that we strictly adhere to in order to provide the best possible care and treatment from anywhere in California. We’re committed to providing the best atmosphere for you, our client, and our team. When we have therapy sessions with you, that’s not the end of our work. We then consult with our team, other therapists, and discuss the most effective ways to approach something. 

Our therapists in Simi Valley, Ca want to address your concerns for starting therapy for either yourself, your child, or your family. We understand that you’re hesitant and unsure about all of this, feeling untrustful or paranoid about our true intentions. Getting started with therapy is not an easy process and can be confusing along the way.

You want to make sure you can find someone in your budget, with a good personality, and whom you feel comfortable with. It’s important that you do find someone who makes you feel like you can express yourself and be vulnerable, as it’s important to establish a bond of trust and connection together. 

Will therapy really even help me?

Therapy is all about you. Although it fits in the stereotype of you talking and us listening the majority of the time, we incorporate real care and conversation into our sessions. If you are not willing to receive help or talk about things, it is less likely that therapy will have an impactful effect on your life.

However, if you are ready to learn, be open minded, and self-constructive, therapy will help you. In therapy, we aim to identify the root causes of your struggles, whether that be internalized anger, frustration, sadness, insecurity, and more. 

Therapy will help you if you realize that enough is enough, and you need to create real change in your life. You know that you have some areas in your life that could use some improvement, and you’re ready to learn how to do so.

We believe that everyone has room to grow and learn more about themselves. We also have lots of room to grow and learn, which is made possible by our clients who challenge us everyday. 

Our Simi Valley therapists are here to help you grow and learn. 

WHY DOES THERAPY HAVE SUCH A STIGMA?— By going to therapy, does that mean something’s wrong with me?

Nothing is wrong with you. We are human beings, inevitably experiencing negative or uncomfortable emotions on a regular basis. Nobody is perfect, but there’s also nothing wrong with us.

In particular, there is nothing wrong with you! Reaching out to get mental health support is an accomplishment, an achievement in your life that you may not yet recognize as a milestone. The fact that you’re going to therapy at all shows that you truly care about yourself and those around you. 

Why should I seek therapy?

You should seek therapy because you know you are worthy of getting support. You know that your problems are hindering you. They are affecting relationships in your life, and you should seek therapy to learn how to combat that.

In therapy, you can expect to learn new coping mechanisms, skill sets, information about yourself, and information about your life events that may not reveal themselves to you clearly.

Why is therapy costly? Don’t you want to help me, not hinder me?

This is a very popular and common question to have. Although there are free clinics and free counseling centers existing, they are usually booked up due to a high demand. Organizations that receive funding from universities, governments, and other forms of funding have the ability to provide crucial and necessary services to those in need. However, when they get full, it’s likely you’ll need to turn to someone who charges you for their services. 

So, why do therapists charge session fees up in the hundreds of dollars? Don’t they want to help us, not hinder us?

As it is correct that they do want to help us, therapists put in a lot of time, energy, and their own money to obtain the necessary and professional training to be able to provide therapy services. Oftentimes, therapists need to continue on to higher levels of education to obtain a Master’s degree or PhD. 

During this education, your therapist conducted research, learned the ins and outs of psychotherapy, and dedicated a lot of effort into learning how to be the most ethical, effective therapist there is. 

You’d want your therapist to be educated on how to help you manage your struggles, how to implement proper psychological theories into your struggles, and what to do in any given scenario with a patient. 

Many therapists are also well adept in the mental health environment, spending time at intensive care programs, working closely with domestic violence victims, or gaining experience working with people on the Autism spectrum.

The years of their accumulated experience and education leaves for their services to be of high value. A therapist dedicates their life, essentially, to ensuring that they can provide the most valuable care for their clients. 

Why should I seek out therapy with you?

Simi Psychological Group truly cares about you and what’s going on. We’re flexible with you, and want to ensure that you genuinely want to stick around with us. 

Our Simi Valley Therapy Practice is dedicated to providing the most compassionate, caring, and honest service we can to you! We highly value the importance of working together as a family, couple, or being able to believe in yourself. 

Our team of highly experienced and professional therapists specialize in numerous areas of therapy that most likely apply to you. We work great with anxiety, depression, stress management, new moms, entrepreneurs, children, teens, adults, parents, families, couples, and more!

We would love to have a phone consultation with you to ease your hesitation for seeking help and provide you with detailed information about our group and why we are the best choice for you.

Now Offering Online Therapy in Los Angeles and Online Counseling Ventura County 

At our therapy practice in Simi Valley, Ca we offer Child therapy and family counseling, Teen therapy, Anxiety Treatment, Depression Therapy, Marriage Counseling, and Neuropsychological Testing.