For some reason among the Trinity campus (and extending beyond campus), there is a stigma associated with receiving therapy and talking to someone about your problems. I can’t say I am totally immune from these beliefs. It took me a while to admit to myself that seeing someone could potentially be helpful and would not, in fact, confirm that I was “crazy” but actually a normal human being, with normal human being problems.
When people tried to force me to go, I ran the complete opposite direction. The choice had to be mine and mine alone! Once I broke past this barrier, I figured out that being able to vent to someone who was not a part of my friend group was quite cathartic. As someone who suffers from a general anxiety disorder, it was so helpful to actually discuss what was going in my head on a daily basis. Figuring out the cause for my actions and not just letting them whirl around in my head was (no pun intended) therapeutic. It is not an automatic fix and I still suffer from panic and anxiety attacks but it is better since I started talking to someone. Seeing how beneficial this has been for me, it is hard to understand why some people think it is so bad.
I think people have a misconception of the therapy- you don’t go there to get prescribed pills to then hand out to friends. For starters, a psychiatrist has a prescription pad, not a therapist. Therapy is not just for people who have a specific disorder. It is not socially unacceptable. It is not anyone’s business whether you go or not. You are not stuck with the first therapist you talk to. It is ok to not click with everyone and there is a reason there are so many therapists, so that YOU can find the right one. It is totally ok to keep your therapy visits to yourself or scream them out to the world that you go to therapy…which I guess it is essentially what I am doing right now.
The Counseling Center is a strong resource on campus. It is filled with a myriad of personalities and people, so there is definitely the possibility of finding someone you love, which is something I have been lucky to experience. Going to the Counseling Center does not cost you anything but you can always go off campus if that works better for you. People should not be afraid to walk over there or be afraid of how people perceive them for going to the counseling center. Also another HUGE bonus is Dr. Kennen’s Golden Retriever puppy, who is there to brighten anyone’s day. It is hard for me to find negatives with therapy to me- I see only positives. However, at the end therapy and the counseling center is there for YOU and no one else, which is important to remember.