People who have never sought out mental healthcare may ask, “Why do people go to therapy?”

In truth, talking to a therapist about your mental health can be just as important as talking to a primary care doctor about your physical health. While some individuals associate therapy with treating serious mental health conditions, there are a whole host of reasons to see a therapist. For starters, counseling can be beneficial for many life challenges, including managing stress, navigating changes, improving personal relationships or just getting “unstuck.”  

To help you better understand some of the benefits of therapy and the reasons to go to therapy, we’ve created the guide below. If you think you might benefit from talking to a mental health professional, talk to your primary care doctor or make an appointment with a therapist today.  

Please note that not all Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama plans cover mental health services. To learn what your specific plan covers, log in or register for myBlueCross to view your benefit booklet. Some plans include Lucet, which can help members access behavioral health resources. Also, some employers offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), which may include counseling, coaching and online resources. Be sure to check with your employer to find out what might be available to you.

 

Benefits of Going to Therapy

If you’re interested in improving the way you think, the way you feel and the way you interact with the people in your life, therapy could be a helpful tool in your toolbox. According to Mental Health America, “therapy helps individuals build coping skills, strengthen relationships and improve self-confidence while addressing mental health challenges such as strong emotions, past traumas and social injustices.” 

Here are just a few of the benefits that therapy may be able to offer when it comes to your mental, emotional, social and physical health:

Benefit

Description

Managing emotions

Better identify and express the way you feel and act

Addressing past trauma

Work through experiences from your personal history that are impacting the way you live today

Handling stress

Find ways to lessen stressors or manage stress more effectively

Support for mental health disorders

Understand the meaning of a diagnosis of a mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety, and learn what you can do about it

Improving self esteem

Reframe how you see yourself and the world around you through positive thinking and actions

Addressing substance abuse disorders

Work through mental health challenges and behaviors related to addiction

Navigating life adjustments

Talk through transitions, such as death, divorce or loss of a job, as a way of coping and working to move forward

Managing a chronic health condition

Process the changes that a chronic health condition can bring about and plan for your future

Talking through decisions and challenges

Discuss the pros and cons of decisions you’re working through with the guidance of an unbiased professional
 

Reasons why someone might see a therapist

Just as the benefits of therapy can vary by individual, so do the reasons for therapy. Some people might ask for help because they recognize that they’re struggling to find motivation, or they’re no longer enjoying activities they once loved; others may be looking to deepen their relationships with partners or family members, while some may be interested in feeling better about themselves. All of these reasons are valid, and if you’re concerned about how you are functioning, therapy might help.

Here’s a deeper look at some of the common reasons someone might seek professional help.

1. Feeling Overwhelmed or Burned Out

Too much stress can leave a person feeling mentally and physically exhausted. “Burnout” is a term that Mental Health America (MHA) describes as a feeling tied to a specific role or responsibility that improves when those duties or expectations lessen. That’s different from depression, which can impact all aspects of an individual’s life and doesn’t go away when a particular circumstance changes. Caregivers, students, parents and workers can all experience burnout. According to MHA, here are some possible signs and symptoms of burnout: 

  • Feeling exhausted, even when you’re well-rested; feeling irritable and overwhelmed a lot of the time
  • Dreading roles and responsibilities that once brought you joy
  • Difficulty focusing
  • Experiencing physical symptoms, such as headache, muscle tension or digestive issues 

If you suspect you’re experiencing burnout, a therapist may be able to help you talk through new ideas for managing your role or discuss how you can set goals for the future that could alleviate the issue.

2. Struggling with Anxiety or Depression

Mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, affect millions of Americans every year. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), about 15% of adults experience depression and 19% have anxiety disorders. Further, NAMI reports that more than half (52%) of adults with a mental illness sought treatment in 2024. Read on to understand some of the symptoms of these two conditions.

If you notice any of the following signs that may indicate depression, you’re not alone. Talking with a therapist can be an important first step.

  • Continual feelings of sadness, emptiness and hopelessness
  • No longer finding pleasure (or interest) in activities you once enjoyed
  • Changes in your sleep pattern (too much or too little sleep)
  • Changes in your eating habits or weight
  • Fatigue
  • Feeling worthless or guilty
  • Difficulty in making decisions or concentrating
  • Thinking about death or suicide 

If you notice any of the following signs that may indicate an anxiety disorder, help is out there. Consider making an appointment with a therapist to talk through what you’re experiencing.

  • Feeling nervous, irritable, on edge, or experiencing panic or a sense of doom regularly
  • An increased heart rate, breathing, sweating and/or trembling
  • Feeling weak or tired
  • Ongoing gastrointestinal issues
  • Trouble concentrating and/or sleeping

    If you think you may have depression or anxiety, and have experienced symptoms for two weeks or more, that’s a good reason to see a therapist. Counseling may help you understand what is contributing to the way you feel so that you can learn to make changes and/or better cope. 

3. Going Through a Major Life Change

Life is filled with transitions and evolutions. Still, letting go of the old and learning to accept—or even embrace—the new can be challenging. When an individual experiences the loss of a loved one, a change in their career or the end of a relationship, it can bring about a wave of grief, uncertainty and fear. The same can be true for changes in life that are positive, such as getting a new job, graduating from school, getting married or becoming a parent. A therapist can offer a safe and stable place for a person to process their feelings, while also sharing insights and advice that can help them as they pave their new path. 

4. You Want to Improve Your Relationships

Relationships depend on listening, communicating, empathy and an ongoing commitment to participate. That goes for marriages and partnerships, family relationships and even friendships. And yet, most of us don’t get lessons in school about how to be a good friend/partner/parent/child. That’s where therapy can help. In individual sessions, you can work with a counselor on areas such as trust, financial stressors, conflict resolution, boundary setting and more. In family sessions—whether as a couple or with children/parents/siblings—you could work with a counselor on improving communication, adjusting to challenges and changes, managing conflicts and navigating stress, among other areas. Whether you’re seeking therapy as an individual or a family, these sessions can offer opportunities to identify patterns of behavior and establish strategies for positive change. 

5. You’ve Experienced Trauma 

Traumatic incidents, such as death, injury, violence and sexual assault, can impact a person for years or even decades after the actual incident. Someone who has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), for example, may not even experience their first symptom until years later. According to the Mayo Clinic, some of the symptoms of PTSD may include: 

  • Unwanted memories or feelings of distress that keep coming back
  • Memory problems, including remembering specific details about the traumatic event
  • Detachment from family and friends
  • Emotional numbness
  • Being easily frightened
  • Self-destructive behavior
  • Irritability or angry outbursts 

If you’ve had troubling thoughts about an event you experienced for more than a month, that’s yet another one of the reasons to go to therapy. The Mayo Clinic notes that exposure therapy can assist in confronting memories and finding ways to cope, while talk therapy, also known as cognitive therapy, may assist in identifying negative thought patterns and establishing new ways of thinking.

6. Feeling “Stuck” or Unmotivated

You don’t have to experience a major life change or have a mental health condition to benefit from therapy. Some people seek help when they’re simply feeling “stuck.” Making that initial appointment is a significant step forward in opening yourself up to guidance, learning and willingness to change. Whether you’re feeling bored, experiencing a quarter-life or midlife crisis, or simply wondering who you are and what that means, a professional counselor may be able to work with you to identify what’s holding you back and develop actionable steps to move forward.

7. You Want to Improve Self-Esteem and Confidence

Low self-esteem can stem from negative self-talk and negative thought patterns. While low self-esteem is not a diagnosable mental health condition, it is a challenge that a therapist can help with, and a valid reason for therapy. According to Psychology Today, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can potentially help someone with low self-esteem because this type of therapy focuses on identifying unhealthy ways of thinking and replacing those thoughts with a more positive, realistic approach. A therapist can work with patients understand what’s causing their negativity and share tools that may lead them to feel better about themselves.

Knowing When to Get Help
While it’s normal for people to feel sad or blue sometimes, people who are struggling with their mental health may experience symptoms that don’t seem to ease in a short period of time. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, if you have experienced the following severe symptoms for two weeks or more, it might help to talk to your doctor or make an appointment with a therapist:

  • Feeling sad, tearful or hopeless
  • Feeling irritable or frustrated
  • Feeling worthless or guilty
  • Feeling tired or having low energy
  • Losing interest in things you typically enjoy
  • Experiencing difficulties concentrating or making simple decisions
  • Having trouble completing tasks and activities
  • Experiencing changes in appetite, weight, sleep or sex drive

Caring for your mental health is a lifelong journey. It takes time, intention and effort. To learn more about mental health topics, and for more answers to questions like “Why do people need therapy?” start by exploring our mental health resources: