Is Therapy Worth It?

Updated 08/13/24

Many people struggle with the financial investment involved when deciding if going to a therapist is worth it. It often goes beyond just the cost of therapy. The time investment required to ensure the in-person or online therapy sessions are effective can be just as concerning for an individual. Therapy treatment isn’t a quick fix, so you should go in knowing that you’re definitely going to have to invest both time and money into it if you really want to see results from therapy services.

That said, is therapy worth it? Absolutely, therapy is worth it. While one can’t put a price tag on happiness, the profound benefits of therapy are undeniable. Research shows that psychotherapy (also known as talk therapy) is effective for up to 75% of people.  Therapy offers unparalleled personal and emotional growth, addressing core issues like confidence and self-esteem. With therapy, individuals gain valuable tools to overcome challenges with their mental health, making the investment in time and money truly invaluable.

“Most people will justify buying a car because it gets you to where you want to go. Our mental health is the main resource that guides not only where we want to go, but is the GPS for our life. It affects all parts of our lives and is the lens through which we engage with the world. If our emotional regulation or thoughts aren’t healthy, or even the best they can be, the quality of our life can be diminished. We need to work on our mental health issues in the same way we would our physical health. Carve out time each day to build our mental health muscles.”

Talkspace therapist Dr. Karmen Smith LCSW DD

8 Reasons Why Therapy is Worth It

It’s common to have questions and wonder: is going to therapy worth it? At the end of the day, only you can decide if this form of mental health treatment is something you need, or if it’s something you’ll benefit from in the long run. For most of us, however, the therapy experience has the potential to be a life-changing gift we give to ourselves. Improving our mental well-being and overall health is something that can alter our path and future in monumental ways.

The mental health support that therapy provides can benefit many facets of our life — from personal relationships, to professional ones, to our internal dialogue and self-worth, to our mood, to stress levels, to the ability to deal with anxiety. If you’ve been wondering is therapy worth it, take a look at the following eight reasons why we believe it is.

1. Quality of life

It’s difficult to achieve a healthy quality of life if you’re not in a good mental health space. Talk therapy services can help clients identify the root of problems they are trying to deal with, so they can be healthy in all areas of their life.

For example, it’s not uncommon that conflict affecting our professional life will trickle over into our personal life. For this reason alone, it’s important that we pay attention to our quality of life overall, so we can find a happier, healthier, more productive place to be in.

2. Develop healthy coping skills

Therapy can be an excellent way for an individual to develop healthy coping skills that can last a lifetime. It goes without saying that at some point in life, you’re going to deal with challenges, trauma, stress, or some type of emotional distress to overcome. How well you’re able to face and handle challenges in the moment can determine how successful you’ll be at overcoming difficult situations in the long run.

Working with a mental health professional can help you develop and practice coping mechanisms that will be useful in any number of difficult situations that might arise in the future.

3. Repressing emotions can be harmful to your mental health

Just because we don’t deal with something doesn’t mean it goes away. In fact, the opposite is true. The longer and further you push things down, the more likely it is that they’ll surface in other areas of your life. 

When you repress your emotions, you might find they have a residual impact on your mental health in unexpected areas. Avoidance can cause depression, anxiety, stress, and panic disorders, among other things. 

4. Safe space to talk about your feelings

If you have a difficult time opening up about your feelings, it might be that you just need a safe space to talk. A therapy session can provide this.

As you build trust and a bond with the right therapist for you, you might just find that you’re able and willing to open up in ways you didn’t know you could. The more vulnerable you allow yourself to be, the better the chance you’ll begin to identify and address the places in your life that are holding you back.

5. Offer emotional relief

You might be looking for mental health support right now, or maybe you’re hoping for a long-lasting change in your life. Traditional talk therapy often utilizes evidence-based treatments that can help you address and improve any mental health condition that may be impacting your life in a negative way.

Different types of therapy can help you manage your:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Stress
• Eating disorders
• Trauma
• Grief

6. Better mental health = better productivity at work

Research shows that the better your mental health is, the better your productivity at work can be. Poor mental health can lead to not just stress at work, but also physical health problems. It’s also been shown to increase employee burnout, which can affect the ability to work efficiently and effectively.

7. Your relationships can be improved

If you struggle to maintain healthy and positive relationships, meeting with a mental health professional can be the key to figuring out why. Beyond that, it can help you develop healthier relationship patterns that’ll extend to virtually every partnership in your life.

From professional relationships, to personal ones, to romantic partners, a good therapist can be the person in your corner helping you learn to communicate, navigate conflict, and make a host of other behavioral adjustments that will ultimately improve your relationships across the board. Additionally, you could also explore therapy options involving individuals in your life through group therapy, family therapy, or couples therapy.

“When we hold onto thoughts that keep us feeling shame and guilt, we begin to believe that we are broken. We will begin to see our relationships and the world as broken. When we enter a therapy session, it provides us the opportunity to gain new perspectives, identify and use our strengths, and learn coping skills that will help us thrive. This directly impacts the quality of our life.”

– Talkspace therapist Dr. Karmen Smith LCSW DD

8. Increased self-esteem and confidence

Many people have difficulties in the areas of self-esteem and confidence. Therapy can help you understand why you struggle in these areas. Better than that, it can give you the tools you need to change the negative thought processes and behaviors that lead to your low self-esteem or lack of confidence. A big part of therapy is learning how to redirect harmful, negative patterns to healthier ones.

Sources:

1. Understanding psychotherapy and how it works. https://www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/understanding-psychotherapy. Published 2020. Accessed November 1, 2021.

2. Rajgopal T. Mental well-being at the workplace. Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2010;14(3):63. doi:10.4103/0019-5278.75691. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3062016/. Accessed November 1, 2021.

3. MENTAL HEALTH POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES IN THE WORKPLACE. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2005:14-19. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/205530/9241546794.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. November 1, 2021.

4. How Long Will It Take for Treatment to Work?. https://www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/length-treatment. Published 2017. Accessed November 1, 2021.

5. Parekh, M.D., M.P.H. R, Givon, M.D., PH.D. L. What is Psychotherapy?. Psychiatry.org. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/psychotherapy. Published 2019. Accessed November 1, 2021.