Unlike Haunted Houses, Mental Health Therapy isn’t Scary

Don’t look over your shoulder, but Halloween is creeping up on us. Homes and streets are being decorated to be scary and suspenseful. Costumes are being imagined and created— some to be fun and whimsical, but most to be shocking or terrifying! BOOO!   

People who have never met with a trained, professional mental health therapist might think the experience could be frightful, like a Halloween nightmare. After all, Hollywood movies often depict mental patients as dangerous types —restrained in strait jackets. But of course, that’s just for show. The truth is, therapy can be helpful to anyone struggling with life’s challenges.

Today we want to assure you that, unlike those elaborate haunted houses, therapy isn’t scary. Not at all. A skilled and licensed therapist knows how to help people relax, and to recognize and deal with their fears, whether real or perceived.

Providing a calming and often enlightening therapy session — in a quiet, soothing private room is always a top priority. There are no tricks…just the treats can come in the form of mental health benefits such as:

  • Relieving and manage anxiety
  • Learning new, positive ways to look at your life and the world around you
  • Learning how to express your thoughts and feelings and become a better communicator
  • Gaining self confidence and self-esteem

During therapy, patients may also discover things about themselves that have been hiding or ignored for years. At S.A.G.E. we incorporate clinically sound and research based therapeutic approaches to improve mental health and promote relaxation, like meditation, plus proven clinical techniques such as EMDR (Eye-movement Desensitization Reprocessing), lifespan integration, IMAGO, couples counseling, and art and play therapy for children.

Think of your next appointment with a caring, expert therapist as a soothing health tune-up to keep your mental machinery running smooth and carefree. After all, you wouldn’t skip your car’s scheduled maintenance or neglect those regular oil changes. That would be asking for trouble.

When we stop to think about it, the only frightening part about mental health therapy is what can happen when people who are troubled, stressed, angry or depressed do NOT seek professional help!  If you or a family member is feeling depressed, fearful, or angry, please call our office to discuss the issue with one of our knowledgeable, compassionate therapists.

Alison Strateart