As a psychotherapist, I often find myself “defending” my vocation. Why? Society as a whole continues to view therapy as negative.  If you’re in therapy, there must be something wrong with you.  If you’re in therapy, you must be “crazy.”  If you’re in therapy, you must have had a bad childhood.  If you’re in therapy, you must not know how to handle your own problems.  If you’re in therapy, you’re weak.  I would challenge this thought process by simply stating that it takes a pretty strong person to pick up the phone and ask for help. 

There are so many other areas of our lives in which we deem it “okay” to ask for help.  If your child is struggling academically, you might look into hiring a tutor or signing up for an after-school program.  If your child needs to learn how to swim, you would most likely start “Googling” local swim lessons.  If your child is sick, you pick up the phone and make a doctor appointment. 

Often, however, we neglect or dismiss our mental health needs.  We tend to become

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