When people hear the phrase "mental
therapist" they think of a serious doctor type person who takes notes
while you talk and then prescribes medicines and sends you on your way. This
stereotype of a mental health therapist just presents one aspect of their job.
Therapists in fact do so much more that even an article won't suffice to cover
their entire role. From being a relationship
advisor to a counselor to those seeking depression help, therapists wear
many hats.
At the core of it, yes, a mental health therapist
is a professional and fully qualified doctor who specializes in treating mental
health issues. And yes, they do work with patients with severe forms of mental
illness and provide intensive and sustained therapy to such individuals. But
they also work with people seeking depression help.
This is not to say that depression is not as serious a condition, however
society does tend to perceive it as not really a mental health issue. In such
cases, therapists almost wear the hat of a counselor of a friend. They might
not necessarily prescribe medicines, but they will indulge in a series of
regular therapy sessions with their patients. And these sessions are designed
in such a way that it gives the patients a safe space to vent their issues and
talk about their problems. They are made to feel as if they are being heard by
somebody who truly understands their condition and such therapy is invaluable
for the treatment of several mental health conditions like depression,
obsessive compulsive disorder and more. On the other hand, a therapist can also
play the role of a counselor or advisor when needed. Especially when it comes
to something like couples’ therapy, a mental health therapist will slip into
the persona of a relationship advisor and will provide the feuding couple with
an impartial and trained listener who is truly invested in helping them.
Through a process of regular and sustained therapy, the advisor will then try
and get to the root of their problems and will initiate a constructive
conversation to help them come up with solutions to their problems. They
perform similar functions for families as well and this is known as family
counseling. On the other hand, they also play the role of a friend when it
comes to providing teenage therapy. Teenage is a very stressful time of life
for everyone and a mental health therapist essentially provides teenagers with
a listening ear for their problems.
Mental health therapists aren't just
doctors who only focus on curing their patients. They are also invested in
improving the quality of life of those who visit them. Their work goes beyond
mental health therapy to mental health wellness as they handhold their patients
through therapy and teach them how to function better in life. Therapy in general
is an extremely constructive process and it is important that more people are
made aware of this distinction.
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