You Don’t Need Therapy, But You May Need Help to Understand or Deal with Someone Who Does

“I can’t deal with my parents, I just don’t know how to talk to them, all we do is fight.” “I found out my girlfriend is using drugs and I want to help her.” “My son is not motivated or interested in anything, I don’t know what to do.” “My partner is spending way too much money and it is really stressing me out.” “My family is crazy, I just can’t deal with them anymore.” “My best friend is really depressed and I don’t know what to do.” “My husband is constantly yelling at me and the kids, but he won’t get help, what can I do?”

More often than not, people view therapy as a way to help themselves when they are in need, stressed out, having difficulties with their mental health, having problems coping or grieving, feel the need to work something out within themselves, or just want a safe space to be able to talk freely. Therapy is also seen as a means to improve relationships within a couple or family by resolving conflicts, improving communication styles, and developing a better understanding of the other people in the relationship or dynamic. There are numerous reasons why people consider and begin therapy regarding themselves, yet most don’t even think of the benefits of therapy to help with someone else in their lives.
Most would not even consider going to therapy if it were not for themselves but to help or deal with a loved one or significant person in their life who may be having difficulties or is engaged in a behavior or has a personality aspect which is causing tension or stress to those around them. But yet, therapy can be a great place to be able to deal with or help those in your lives.

1. You can learn better communication styles to deal with people in your lives. Often, the stress or tension we have when talking to others can be a result of miscommunication or a difference in communication styles. Being able to identify these differences, learn new ways to communicate with certain people or styles, and learning to deal with conflict can be a great benefit to dealing with difficult people in your life.
2. You can learn to control your emotions or reactions to the situation or other people. We may not be able to control what others say or do, but we can control how we react and the impact it has on us. Therapy can help to be able to notice when emotions become heightened, the thoughts that increase those emotions, and mindfulness or relaxation techniques to be able to decrease the negative emotions or thoughts and better handle the situation.
3. You can learn tools or skills to be able to help others. Sometimes the hardest part of dealing with others in your life is getting them to realize they are in need of help. It can be extremely difficult to constantly deal with someone who has a problem or issue and does not think so or is not yet willing to admit it. Therapy can help you figure out what to do, determine what and how to bring an issue up, and the best way to approach or communicate it.
4. You can learn acceptance of others. Unfortunately, sometimes there is nothing you can do about a person or situation and the most helpful thing for you to do is just accept it. It can be very freeing to come to the realization that the situation or person is not your responsibility, you can’t change them, and you just need to accept it and learn to live with it in whatever way is least negative.

Therapy can be beneficial to help you deal with others in your lives, stressful behaviors or situations of others, or how to manage your emotions or reactions. But in the end, it is important to remember that you can’t fix someone else or make them change, all you can do is learn to change how you react or feel about it.