5 Years In Therapy & Four Things I've Learned
Updated: Feb 28, 2022
Therapy has changed my life beyond what I can describe. As a suicide survivor living with bipolar and generalized anxiety disorders, therapy has been vital to my mental health recovery. I’ve been in therapy for five years and my life has drastically improved. Here are four lessons I’ve learned.
Boundaries are necessary.
Personal Boundaries are important because they set the basic guidelines of how you want to be treated. Boundaries are standards that people create to establish how others are able to behave around them. For example, they may involve what behavior is okay and what is not and how to respond if someone passes those limits. Setting boundaries can ensure that relationships can be mutually respectful, appropriate, and caring.
Boundaries help with the following.
To feel safe in a relationship
To have your privacy and boundaries you have created respected
To be heard and listened to
To feel validated
To be appreciated and valued
To respect that the answer no
To have your needs met
To be treated respectfully - absence of emotional, physical, and verbal abuse
Self-awareness opens the door for healing.
Self-awareness is the ability to see yourself clearly and objectively through reflection and introspection. Self awareness is important because when we have a better understanding of ourselves, we are able to experience ourselves as unique individuals. We are then empowered to make changes and to build on our areas of strength as well as identify areas where we would like to make improvements.
Healing is not linear.
Healing takes time. Every therapy session isn’t full of tears. Give yourself grace and know that trauma and stressors are layered. Be patient and trust the process. A good therapist will guide you and let you peel each layer back when you are ready.
Your therapist will hold you accountable.
Therapy is not all about dark secrets and childhood traumas. It is also a great opportunity to discuss your goals and dreams. Your therapist will help you break big goals into small milestones and encourage you when you need it.
This article was compiled from the following sources.