Having someone listen and respond in time of trouble can be helpful. Many of us just need to bounce ideas of someone, or search the internet for helpful suggestions. Still it is helpful to consider some of the benefits of seeing a therapist.
A professional mental health worker, (one who is trained, certified, and licensed), offers sound effective, and systematic treatment based on a deep understanding of the nature of relational, emotional, psychological, neurological, and behavioral difficulties. They are bound by ethical and legal guidelines to protect those they treat from harm, and to assure that they are administering treatment within their areas of specialty and training. Additionally, as professionals the relationship is defined, (the client and the therapist agree on treatment, in exchange for an agreed upon fee). Confidentiality assures that clients can be free to explore and talk about things that they may never share with anyone else.
Quick list:
| Friends | Professionals |
| Are familiar with you, and know alot about you | Are familiar with the nature of problems and struggles, help you to exploe and know yourself |
| Have a give and take relationship, and there is risk of burdening them | Have a collaborative and professional relationship, the parameters are clear |
| they may be encouraging, and naturally responsive | They are empowering and, deliberately responsive |
| Offer sensible advice | Help discover possibilities, and find answers, |
| Use hopeful suggestions | Use known effective interventions, and a treatment plan |
| Are careful of feelings, possibly withholding of difficult truth | Challenging and truthful |
| Analyze using personal opinions | conceptualize based on individual’s uniqueness |
| Analyze using personal experiences | help individuals tell there story and explore their experiences, root out causes |
| Confidentiality based on trust, risky | Confidentiality based on ethical and legal mandates |
| Possibility of being judged, criticized, seen as week, needing to change, tough it out, or dismissed | client is met where they are, therapist acknowleges and reinforces strengths, helps them identify areas they wish to change or strengthen |
| Relationship may include same friends, family, associations, | Relationship does not extend beyond therapy room |
In my next article I will talk about some of the misunderstandings about therapy.
Finding Wholeness 
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