An estimated 40 million adults receive therapy treatment every year, but those considering therapy or even in therapy may encounter some common myths and misconceptions about what it can accomplish. The Onion debunks the most enduring myths about therapy.
You need something wrong with you to go to therapy.
Therapists will happily take your money regardless of where you are in your mental health journey.
There are healthy alternatives to therapy, such as exercise or meditation.
You don’t do those either, though.
I’m too old—therapy won’t help me.
It’s never too late to realize how thoroughly screwed up your life is.
Going to therapy is a sign of weakness.
Going to therapy is a sign of health insurance.
Once I start, I’ll have to go to therapy forever.
At some point, your therapist will get sick of you and tell you to stop.
Therapy is inaccessible.
Therapy is inaccessible for the people who need it most.
I can talk to friends instead of seeing a therapist.
Your friends are at this very moment making an effort to distance themselves from you.
Therapists will judge me for what I say.
With the amount of wildly interesting stuff they’ve heard, you’ll likely come off as pretty boring.
Therapists sit behind desks taking notes while I lie on a couch.
Therapists prefer to shake your shoulders, slap you in the face, and yell “Snap out of it, you’re talking crazy!”