Overcoming Fear of Therapy

"When I ask why, I often find the real reason they are saying this is fear: fear that the therapist will manipulate them, fear that the therapist's questions will embarrass them or trigger anxiety, fear that they will be criticized or expected to become a different person, fear that they will be blamed for their own problems, fear that the therapist can read their private emotions and inner thoughts, or fear that they will not "get" therapy and fail as a patient."

"As a psychotherapy patient, you are the one who is interviewing and hiring the therapist, deciding if their communication style, credentials, and therapy orientation feel right to set goals and track progress. In other words, the therapy is yours to personalize, and you get to decide how you want to use the sessions. Therapy isn't a teacher-student relationship, and a therapist's role isn't to tell you what to do. It's a collaborative process with someone trained to help you understand yourself more deeply and make your own decisions. The real value of therapy often isn't in the therapist's exact words, but in how those words help you reshape the way you speak to and support yourself."

Many people refuse psychotherapy because of fear: manipulation, embarrassment, criticism, blame, or inability to 'get' therapy. Psychophobia often stems from myths and misconceptions rather than reality. Patients control goals, pace, and termination and choose therapists based on communication style, credentials, and orientation. Therapy is collaborative, not directive; therapists help patients understand themselves and make decisions. Confidentiality protects private information better than friends or relatives. Virtual sessions add privacy, convenience, and empowerment for hesitant patients. Patients decide how to use sessions and track progress toward personalized goals. Therapy reduces isolation and offers evidence-based strategies to manage anxiety, depression, and life transitions.

Read at Psychology Today