Therapy 101: Part 1

From birth you’ve relied on others to survive, grow, and overcome challenges. Parents, grandparents, siblings and other family members, neighbors, teachers, and friends have been helping you along the way. These are the people we spend time with, trust, and turn to for help when needed. But what if we need help beyond what our social support network can give us? That’s when we turn to a different level of support: people who have extended knowledge and training in helping people cope with life’s challenges.

If you’ve ever broken a bone, you probably knew at that moment professional medical help was needed. A broken bone is not an injury fixed with some Neosporin and a kiss from mom; what you needed was a doctor who could assess and treat your injury. When it comes to mental and behavioral health issues—anxiety, depression, ADHD, eating disorders, to name a few—it’s kind of the same thing. You need to go see a professional. Not just anyone can fix a broken arm or, say, perform brain surgery, and the same goes for psychotherapy. Therapists, just like doctors, must be credentialed by a state government regulatory board.

But don’t therapists just “talk” to me about my problems, kind of like my parents, friends, and coaches?

Not exactly. First, they are required to stay up to date on the latest scientific research findings to ensure they are providing the best advice. Second, they are held to high ethical standards, including a commitment to do no harm. This means they typically avoid working with people they know on a personal level—this enables them to be unbiased in their treatment. In other words, when you see a licensed therapist, you can assume they are highly trained and professional, as well as ethical and responsible. These are important assumptions because therapy is only as helpful as the trust you have in the therapist.

When it comes to your mental and behavioral health, it can seem overwhelming to seek help for various reasons:

• You’re not sure you actually need help, and even if you are, you can’t identify the source of your problem as easily as you can a physical one (like a broken arm, for example).
• There is a lot of stigma and misunderstanding around mental and behavioral health struggles, which may cause you to feel ashamed.
• There are different mental and behavioral health fields with their own terminologies and credentialing, making it difficult to know who is qualified to help with your very specific and personal problem.

How do I know if it’s time to seek professional mental health support? 

You may start by asking yourself: Am I experiencing something that is creating a significantly negative impact in my life? Everyone experiences negative feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, and some mental health struggles can be overcome with minor intervention—but others require expert care. If you find yourself consistently struggling to complete normal daily activities or experience extreme sadness or loss of appetite and interest, it is a good idea to consult with a professional. There are many manifestations of mental and behavioral health injury, including problems with attention (ADHD) and anxiety. But even if you just feel “off,” it can’t hurt to talk to a therapist; they are trained to address a broad array of problems.

What is Mental Health?

Your mental health refers to your psychological well-being. Mental health is a fluid process of responding to events and people in the world; it is not static. You are born with a range of potential for functioning in the world and your process of mental health, just like your physical health, exists within that range, moving up and down the spectrum depending on what’s going on in your brain and your life. When there is dysfunction or “injury” to this process, your mental well-being is at risk.

Because mental health issues are not directly observable like a physical injury or disease, they are sometimes dismissed as “made up” or “self-inflicted.”

Stigma

Many teens struggling with mental health issues report feeling stigmatized by those closest to them, such as parents, peers, and teachers, who may perceive the teen as being manipulative or dishonest, leading to distrust and social rejection.

 In the Black community, psychotherapy is often seen as treatment for only serious mental illness (such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder), which makes it undesirable as a treatment option for simpler adjustment problems or mundane aspects of daily function. This stigma persists because mental illness stigma persists; historically, individuals with severe mental illness were typically perceived as dangerous, which is a dangerously false perception. Unfortunately, this also means many Black teen girls are likely to struggle silently with more ordinary problems, such as anxiety or depression, that could be easily addressed with professional help. Leaving the problem to fester creates chronic dysfunction and makes it much harder to untangle down the road.

There is no shame in receiving psychotherapy!

Despite the negative connotations typically associated with mental health struggles, the tide seems to be turning. With global connectivity come some positive benefits as teens from around the world have instant access to others like them and can freely share new thoughts and ideas about mental health. Even celebrities have become more outspoken about their mental health struggles and the importance of therapy, making young people more comfortable with the idea of getting help. But relying on social media and celebrity culture to educate yourself about mental health issues is dicey given the plethora of misinformation. The internet gives everyone a platform, even people who don’t know what they are talking about. Having a bit of general knowledge about the different types of mental health professionals and what they are able to offer will help you avoid believing everything you read. We will talk more about this in the next issue of Geaux Girl!. Until then, always remember: There is no shame in receiving psychotherapy.

You help normalize psychotherapy when you tell others how it has helped you overcome your own struggles.

Part II of this article will appear in the next issue of Geaux Girl! and focus on the different types of therapists, the cost of therapy, and how to find the right therapist for you.

Dr. Sarah Fontenelle is a licensed developmental psychologist based in the Greater New Orleans area. She earned her doctorate in experimental psychology from Tulane University, where she studied the mechanisms that drive early human development. Dr. Fontenelle has since worked with many families, including parents and their teenaged children, to help them achieve school, work, and personal goals. She also makes time to pursue her passions, which include giggling with her 5-year-old twin daughters, singing in a band with her husband, and reading books about quantum physics.

Dr. Samantha Francois is a professor at Tulane University’s School of Social Work with a specialization in adolescent development and vulnerability and resilience in African American populations. She earned her doctorate in developmental psychology from Tulane University. Dr. Francois teaches classes on human development, diversity, and community organizing. She also does research on challenges experienced by African American teens in their neighborhoods and schools and what helps them overcome these challenges. Dr. Francois is the mother of an energetic and funny eight-year-old boy and enjoys traveling to faraway places.