How to Tell Your Family You’re Going to Therapy When They Don’t Believe in It
As helpful as therapy can be for a range of people, not everyone supports or believes in it. Some people think that they can handle their problems themselves and don’t need someone to tell them what to do or how to do it.
That can mean that if you want to tell your family you’re going to therapy, you won’t always receive the support you need or expected. If you’re in this very situation, dealing with family members who view mental healthcare with skepticism, you may like to heed this advice:
Prepare for the Conversation
In an ideal world, you’d be able to tell your family outright that you’re receiving help for your mental health and receive the wraparound support you need. However, due to trauma myths in Southern culture and many misconceptions about what therapy really means, that doesn’t always happen. As a result, you need to prepare for the conversation.
Think about what you want to gain from the conversation, and write notes if you need to. If you’re nervous, plan to have a trusted friend or family member come with you. It can also be helpful to choose a calm, private, and distraction-free setting where you can talk openly without being interrupted.
Explain Why You Want Therapy
While your family members might say things like ‘your life isn’t that bad’ and ‘don’t air your dirty laundry,’ it might be important to you that you explain why you want therapy. You don’t have to go into too much detail if you’re not comfortable, but you can provide vague answers like needing help to manage stress, anxiety, or depression. If your family members are likely to take offense or get defensive, use ‘I’ statements. For example, you can say ‘I’ve been feeling stressed lately’ as opposed to ‘you’re stressing me out.’
Educate Them On What Therapy Is
Movies and TV shows haven’t always painted the most authentic picture of what therapy is and what it can entail. Your family members may already have preconceived ideas, and it can be up to you to educate them on what it actually is.
Cover some of the misconceptions, share some of the many benefits, and even discuss the different types of therapy if you feel comfortable, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), biofeedback, holistic therapy, and couples behavioral therapy, just to name a few.
Highlight the Advantages of Therapy
Despite all the myths your family might believe, like that if everyone went through the same thing, it can’t be trauma, there’s value in highlighting the advantages of therapy. If your family knew what you were getting out of your sessions, they may be more agreeable to the prospect of therapy.
Therapy presents many benefits, like more self-awareness, coping strategies for challenging situations, and healthier relationships. Your family members are bound to be happy to learn that your therapy sessions are helping you to grow as a person.
As challenging as it can be to tell your loved ones that you’re going to therapy, doing so may mean you’re able to receive the wraparound support you deserve. Don’t be afraid to be open and honest about your journey if it could mean that you’re not having to travel on it alone.
