Giving therapy a try was actually the best way I spent my money when I was almost broke and had an uncertain future in front of my eyes.
For almost 2 and a half years, I was losing jobs and was mainly freelancing, so I had to reduce my expenses to a minimum. It was brutal. I almost didn’t spend on travel and clothing, limiting my outings. But I invested in my therapy sessions as I knew I had to get out of that mess mentally sane. And I did.
Therapy is not entirely for people with mental issues, and there should be no shame in having your own psychotherapist to guide you. In fact, now I firmly believe it’s healthy.
In 2017 I had to be proven how wrong I was and how maybe I should keep my mouth shut about things I didn’t experience before. In January that year, I was told that the event agency I was working in would close its doors by the end of April. At the same time, I was dating a guy that turned out to be a liar and a cheater and eventually moved away when he promised our relationship would work.
That was the last year I stopped sharing accommodation with someone. The girl I was living with, even though she was part of our friend’s group and I treated her really well, turned out to be a snake doing many nasty things behind my back.
All the above happened in the first few months of 2017.
So there I was: lost, depressed, vulnerable, and very uncertain about the coming future.
I had savings to cover my expenses by the end of the year and live decently without a job. But of course, the pressure was high.
Quite a lot on my plate to digest. That was the first time I said to myself, I need professional help. I didn’t have resources anymore, and my friends were wonderful and supportive. But friends are always subjective, and I know I need to talk to someone that does not know me. Someone who is not a friend can give me a different kind of advice and support.
8 Reasons It Is Worth Spending Your Money On Therapy
The Therapy Sessions I Bought Were Truly The Best Investments I Have Ever Made In Myself For The Following Reasons:
- I understood better how the human mind works.
- Moreover, I understood myself in ways that I didn’t know were possible.
- It brought me awareness. I realized things I already knew, but they were so deeply buried in the subconscious mind. I managed to take those things out to the surface, and I was like, wow. It all made so much sense.
- I developed skills that I didn’t know about.
- I learned how to use powerful techniques to achieve my goals:
- Visualization
- Meditation
- Setting intentions
- Handwriting exercises
- It calmed me down. I did most of my sessions because I felt agitated and scared. After each hour spent with my therapist, I had answers to my questions, relief to my concerns, and, more importantly – hope for the future.
- It refined and re-shaped me. I am a better person, and I am more at peace with myself and my surroundings.
- It made me realize that I am the only one in control. Just me, nobody else. And that I can only manipulate my reactions to the outer world and stop trying to control what is happening around me.
The Magic Formula
Therapy means both theory and practice, and one can’t go without another if you want to see results. Just like when you go to school. You will learn a bunch of things in class and after you have homework that will improve your knowledge.
Your physical sessions with your coach will be the training you have in class, and the exercises you will do on your own time will be your practice – your homework.
If you think you will just take a few sessions and this is it. I am afraid I have bad news for you. You will waste your money, energy, and time, and you will not see the results you expect. You will think it was useless. And it will be useless.
How To Make Sure You Spend Your Money With The Right Therapist
Finding the right therapist, it’s a sensitive matter and often can be a challenge.
We think they should be skilled and good, but not everyone is passionate about what they do.
And this is all I was looking for as a trade for my money – professional ADVICE.
Below Are A Few Things You Should Consider Before And After Starting Your First Session:
Recommendation
The two of you will build a connection based on trust and communication.
In my opinion, it is better and safer to be recommended. So far, I have only had my sessions with two different ones, and both were recommended, and I can say I won the lottery. I even suggested Laura to most of my girlfriends, and they were so happy they endorsed her as well.
Language & Communication
It might be better to speak your own language and come from the same culture. My sessions were with Laura from Romania in my native language, and later on, I also had a few with Darren here in Dubai.
Listen And Talk
The session should be more or less 50% – 50% talking and listening hence balanced. They should let you tell your story and talk about the issues bothering you. On the other hand, you should also listen to what they teach you. If one part talks too much, there is a problem.
Pricing
If you are in Dubai, a 1 h session can go up to 200 USD, which is not cheap at all. Darren was the only one I tried here, and he is the husband of one of my best friends. Before my session with him, I knew he was right to try it as I read his book Journey Back to Self, and I had some conversations with him.
On the other hand, someone from your country will be cheaper as you will pay in your currency and easily do it online.
Frequency
It’s not a must to have a session per week for the rest of your life, but there should be some sort of consistency, at least until you figure things out.
Go for one session to test the waters, and if you are happy, I suggest that further on to buy in bulk, three-five.
I bought five sessions initially, and I had one every second week. After a few months, I used to buy a session here and there when I felt I needed it. Lately, I have been doing much less.
Trust
The two of you will build a relationship, and the most important thing is that you are comfortable sharing very intimate and personal aspects of your life. Hence make sure you guys are totally on the same page and are on a good communication level.
Say No
If you are not comfortable or feel like there is no value-added, there is no reason to continue and look for someone else you will resonate with.
Online Therapy Advantages And Disadvantage
Out of all the sessions that I did, only two were in-person and the rest via Zoom.
I definitely prefer the non-virtual ones, but I have to admit the ones on Zoom and Skype went really well and were very productive. I didn’t have a choice because my first coach was miles away.
Advantages
- You can do it from anywhere.
- The quality of the session is the same as if you were doing it in-person
- Costs are less as all you need is wi-fi connections, and you’ll pay for the session.
- Time effective as you will not have to be stuck in traffic and run from one side of the city to another
Disadvantage
- For me, online will never be the same as in-person. I definitely highly appreciate the above benefits but what is in-person stays in-person.
- You can’t do hypnosis.
- Sometimes, without interacting face-to-face, therapists miss out on body language and other cues.
- There can be tech issues. Dropped calls, frozen videos, and trouble accessing chats aren’t conducive to treatment.
Closing Note
- Never ever think that your issues can be swept under the rug, and things will go on anyway and eventually will be ok. Repressed emotions will come to haunt you later on If you feel you need professional help go for it and don’t care what other people might say or how much money you will have to spend. In fact, don’t even share this with anyone if it makes you feel uncomfortable or vulnerable. In the end, how you manage your life is entirely your business.
What was your therapy experience?
