How therapy can improve your well-being and unlock happiness?

What is therapy?

Therapy is also known as psychotherapy. It refers to any psychological technique that can bring about positive changes in personality, behaviour or personal adjustment. Psychotherapy is a dialogue between therapists and their clients. Some therapists also use learning principles to alter troublesome behaviours.

The person who conducts these therapy sessions is called a psychotherapist. A psychotherapist is a trained, licensed healthcare professional who helps a patient with a mental health condition. Mental health professionals often recommend therapy, in addition to medication, to assist patients with mental health conditions. Therapy improves people’s functioning, helping them to carry on with their everyday lives smoothly. 

Therapies that make you happy

There are various approaches counsellors use to address their patients and ensure that the therapy sessions help the patient identify their shortcomings and overcome them themselves in future. Therapists often use various approaches to improve their patients' well-being and unlock happiness. 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment focusing on challenging and changing negative irrational thought patterns and behaviours. CBT leads to a significant improvement in the way of life and can be more effective than any other methods or medications. Cognitive Behavioral Therapies are based on several core principles, and the treatment usually involves changing the negative thinking patterns and behavioural patterns and giving a positive perspective to them. 

The CBT therapists emphasise what is going on in the person’s life rather than talking about the reason behind their current behaviour. Though a certain amount of their life history is required, this therapy focuses on moving forward and developing effective ways to cope with everyday life. 

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is another approach psychologists adopt where the patients are encouraged to accept and deal with reality and work with what they have. acceptance commitment therapy focuses on three areas: Accept your reactions and be present, Choose a valued direction and Take action. ACT is a third-wave cognitive behavioural therapy as it focuses on helping people accept negative thoughts, feelings and sensations and guide them to lead with value-based actions. The therapists who adopt Acceptance and Commitment Therapy help you to eliminate the negative experiences and increase your involvement in everyday life activities. 

Group Therapy

Group therapy is a therapy session that involves a therapist who addresses several people at the same time. This therapy session is widely available and integrated into a comprehensive treatment plan. In a group therapy session, you can share your stories and experiences with strangers and hear their stories. The group therapy session often involves around 8-12 people who meet once or twice every week and have an hour-long therapy session. The group therapy sessions allow individuals to get support and encouragement from others, and they can also see and understand that even others are going through problems in their lives, making them feel less lonely. 

How do these therapies help us?

These are the various ways in which these therapy sessions can help us. 

Help you look at a new perspective.

A good therapist and a potent therapy session help you look at things positively and from a new perspective. When you constantly think about an issue, you may look at it from a different perspective and arrive at the same conclusion. But with the help of a therapist and the right therapeutic approach, you can arrive at a new perspective that you may be unconsciously ignoring.

Help you talk about your concerns openly.

In a therapy session, you have a safe and confidential environment where you can talk about your concerns without being judged. Because of this, you can open up with your therapist about what is bothering you. By putting your thoughts forward, you may find the reason for your distress that would have seemed cloudy in your head. 

Help you regulate your emotions.

Distress, disappointment, depression and anxiety are some of the frequently occurring emotions for a person with a mental health concern, and sometimes these emotions are so extreme that the individual may not be able to control them. But with the right therapeutic approach, the individual can regulate their emotions, learn to accept them and handle them more cheerfully. 

Help you find an ideal way to deal with your problems.

One of the most common ways we deal with unpleasant emotions, thoughts or feelings is by avoiding them. But, just by ignoring them, we cannot make them go away. With therapeutic approaches like CBT or ACT, one can recognise these behaviours and thought patterns and replace them with positive ones, and this helps the individual look at things from a different perspective.

Encourage you to spend time with yourself.

If you are bored, you can find things to do or people to meet. It will help you overcome your fear and nervousness. Engaging in a hobby or activity can help you find yourself and wash away all the negative thoughts and feelings you may have developed