The Top 5 Myths About Therapy That Could Be Holding You Back
What is Mental Health Stigma?
The first step to debunking myths about therapy is to learn about the stigmatization reinforcing them. Mental health stigma refers to the disgrace, social disapproval, or social discrediting experienced by those with mental health challenges. Mental health stigma can exist in more than one form. It can be internalized stigma, or self-stigma, in which individuals have a negative attitude towards their own mental health struggles. Or it may be public stigma, which refers to the negative attitudes held by the general public toward individuals with mental health conditions, often rooted in misconceptions, fear and prejudice surrounding mental health.
More than 70% of people around the world with mental health issues do not receive treatment from healthcare professionals. Evidence suggests that a leading factor in the avoidance or delay in the seeking of treatment is prejudice directed toward individuals with mental health difficulties, as well as the expectation of discrimination following the diagnosis of a mental health condition. This highlights the persistent stigma surrounding mental health and the act of seeking professional support. Therapy and other forms of mental health treatment are often viewed negatively, often driven and rooted in myths and misconceptions about mental health treatment, which can discourage individuals from seeking professional help.
Myth 1: Therapy is Only for Individuals with Severe Mental Illnesses
One of the common myths about therapy is that therapy is a last resort, reserved only for those who experience severe illness or struggles with their mental health. But that is like saying you should only go to the gym if you are recovering from a major injury.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, “therapy can be beneficial for anyone, not just those with mental illness.” While it is an essential tool for conditions like anxiety and depression, it can also be a powerful way to navigate daily life stressors like work or relationships. Kapadia and others further assure that therapy can be beneficial to a wide spread of individuals, stating that psychotherapy has been successfully generalized to treat a variety of issues beyond specific psychiatric disorders to help manage various daily challenges.
Think of therapy like going to the gym. The more consistent you are in the gym and weight lifting, the stronger your muscles get. In the same sense, consistency with therapy can help strengthen your mind by helping the brain develop healthier patterns of thinking over time, allowing individuals to better adapt, grow, and respond to everyday challenges.
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Myth 2: Tried Therapy Once and It Didn’t Work
So you tried therapy and it did not feel helpful. Do not worry. It happens! Sometimes, therapy does not work for you the same way it does for someone else and that is okay. An important factor to note is that therapy is not a one-off fix. If the results are not immediate, it does not mean that treatment is not working.
In fact, information from the National Library of Medicine argues that one of the critical factors in successful therapy is the therapeutic relationship, which is the collaboration and trust between the therapist and the client. This relationship can look like mutual respect and a nonjudgmental attitude to create a safe space for the client to feel comfortable in discussing concerns freely. Taking this into account, relationships like this take time and require patience from both sides. Which is why an average of 15-20 sessions is found to be the most beneficial, especially for long term mental health concerns.
This is why the idea that “therapy didn’t work the first time” is a harmful myth. It does not factor in the time it takes to build a trusting relationship with a professional. You cannot base your assumptions on something you have only tried once, and it works the same for therapy. Both the client and the therapist need to keep an open mind and have patience with one another.
Myth 3: Therapy is a Quick Fix
If the results are not immediate, we often turn away. When we are in pain, we want the fastest solution to make it stop or help numb the pain. A question that is asked often is “can therapy work the same?” The short answer is no. So why is the idea that “therapy is a quick fix” actually one of the common myths about therapy? The answer is simple. We are not always willing to put in the necessary work.
While there is no set timeline for how long to go to therapy, most clients and therapists find that they prefer long period treatments spanning around 20-30 sessions over the course of six months. This maximizes achievement of long term benefits and allows the client to feel confident in the skills and tools they gained during their treatment. Oftentimes, people believe that going to therapy once is enough. But, the reality is that it is not that simple. Lifelong patterns cannot be fixed over the duration of 1-2 sessions. Therapy takes time and a certain level of vulnerability between the client and the therapist in order to establish useful skills and tools to help clients cope, work through emotions, or find answers within themselves.
Myth 4: Mental Health and Seeking Help is a Sign of Weakness
For a long time, mental health conditions have been framed to be the result of personal failings, poor character, a lack of willpower, and weakness. This myth not only misrepresents the reality of mental health conditions, but also discourages individuals from seeking support. Because of this, it is highly important we “debunk” this myth to ensure individuals feel supported and further encouraged to access the treatment they need without fear of judgment or shame.
Mental health conditions are not something a person can simply “push through” on their own. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health, mental health conditions are not caused by personal weakness or flawed character. Instead, they arise from a combination of environmental and biological factors, such as a stressful job or home life. In addition to environmental stressors, biological factors play a significant role as well. Brain structure, biochemical processes and neural circuits can also influence overall mental functioning. These factors combined can increase an individual’s chances of experiencing mental health challenges.
Despite what outdated narratives may suggest, no one should be told or made to feel as though they must “tough it out.” The idea that seeking mental health support reflects weakness or flawed character can deter individuals from seeking the support they need and deserve. Taking the step to access help is far from a sign of weakness and is, in fact, quite the opposite. As Sweet and Whitlock from Cornell University emphasize, seeking therapy and staying consistent with treatment is truly a sign of strength, commitment and courage, reflecting relentless hard work. This persistent hard work allows for individuals to gain clarity and reduces reliance on negative coping strategies.
Myth 5: Therapy is Just About Talking
Therapy is more than just talking. In order for therapy to work, the client has to put in the work and strive to build a strong foundation with their therapist to reach an outcome that will best help them. Clients who put little to no effort in their therapy sessions are faced with poor relationships with their therapists which can ultimately affect the quality of therapy they receive. If you think about it from this perspective, the client needs to do more than just talk in order to establish their needs and identify what they want to get out of their therapy.
If therapy was framed around just talking, clients would not be able to develop the necessary tools or skills to better themselves. An abrupt stop to sessions will continue to perpetuate this idea of “therapy doesn’t work.” If you have tried therapy but found it to be unsuccessful, consider looking into therapists who specialize in your area of need. This can help to achieve a better connection to break the idea, or myth rather, of “just talking during therapy.” Although clients need to put in the work, so does the therapist. If a therapist is unable to promote engaging and consistent active participation by the client, there is room for improvement. It might mean that the client and therapist are incompatible and the techniques the therapist is sharing are not resonating with the client. Ultimately, continuing the pattern that reinforces one of the myths about therapy. Namely, that “therapy is just talking.”
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2025, March 5). Myths and facts about mental health. American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/apa-blogs/myths-and-facts-about-mental-health
American Psychological Association. (2017). How long will it take for treatment to work?. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/length-treatment
Henderson, C., Evans-Lacko, S., & Thornicroft, G. (2013, May). Mental illness stigma, help seeking, and public health programs. American Journal of Public Health, 103(5), 777–780. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.301056
Kapadia, M., Desai, M., & Parikh, R. (2022, April 1). Fractures in the framework: Limitations of classification systems in psychiatry . Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 22(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2020.22.1/rparikh
Opland, C., & Torrico, T. J. (2024, October 6). Psychotherapy and therapeutic relationship. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK608012/
Powell, S. (2015, July 17). Dispelling myths on mental illness. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/blog/dispelling-myths-on-mental-illness/
Subu, M. A., Wati, D. F., Netrida, N., Priscilla, N., Dias, J. M., Abraham, M. S., Slewa-Younan, S., & Al-Yateem, N. (2021, October 18). Types of stigma experienced by patients with mental illness and mental health nurses in Indonesia: A qualitative content analysis. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 15(77). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-021-00502-x
Sweet, M., & Whitlock, J. (2010, January). Therapy: Myths & misconceptions [Infographic]. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236830996_Therapy_Myths_Misconceptions
Authors: Kianna Simpson and Tamara Popovic, Undergraduate Student Volunteers
Edited by: Caden Grandy, Undergraduate Student Volunteer
