{"id":6246,"date":"2023-08-04T00:46:40","date_gmt":"2023-08-03T17:46:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6246"},"modified":"2023-08-04T00:46:40","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T17:46:40","slug":"how-to-convince-someone-to-go-to-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=6246","title":{"rendered":"How To Convince Someone To Go To Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">A<\/span>dmit it: At some point in your life you\u2019ve looked at a romantic partner, a friend, a sibling, a parent, a coworker, or, heck, even a perfect stranger and thought to yourself, \u201cJeez, that person needs to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-advice-from-therapists\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-advice-from-therapists\/\">go to therapy<\/a>.\u201d Whether you\u2019ve spent five minutes with someone, or an entire lifetime, it can be all too easy to prescribe, what we consider, another person\u2019s mental health care needs. This feels especially true in our current landscape of <a href=\"https:\/\/knowyourmeme.com\/memes\/instead-of-going-to-therapy\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" rel=\"nofollow\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/knowyourmeme.com\/memes\/instead-of-going-to-therapy\">meme-ified<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/self-diagnosing\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/self-diagnosing\/\">self-diagnosing Internet culture<\/a>.<\/div>\n<p>So what do you do when you truly believe that someone in your life could benefit from professional counseling? Maybe they\u2019re repeating harmful patterns that have you concerned, maybe they\u2019re constantly stressed out, or maybe,<em> just maybe,<\/em> they are using you as their therapist and frankly, this is all a little above your pay grade.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p>It\u2019s hard to have this conversation without hurting your loved one\u2019s feelings. And deciding to seek help is a major, deeply personal decision. Should you just butt out of it? Or is there a way to broach the subject tactfully?<\/p>\n<h2>Consider your motivation<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cThe first thing that\u2019s important to consider is asking yourself, \u2018What\u2019s my goal here?\u2019\u201d says marriage and family therapist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sarah-epstein.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.sarah-epstein.com\/\">Sarah Epstein, LMFT<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>By reflecting on your own needs and wants in this situation, you should consider questions like, \u201cWhere am I coming from? Why do I want this person to change? Is it my desire for them to go to therapy for them, or is it for my benefit?\u201d adds clinical psychologist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drchloe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.drchloe.com\/\">Chloe Carmichael, PhD<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/convince-someone-to-go-to-therapy\/\" current-title=\"Can You Ever Tell Someone Else That They Should Try Therapy? Mental Health Experts Weigh In\" current-image=\"GettyImages-how-to-convince-soneone-to-go-to-therapy.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-02-03\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/convince-someone-to-go-to-therapy\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/convince-someone-to-go-to-therapy\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/convince-someone-to-go-to-therapy\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Is it your boyfriend that you think needs to communicate better? Is it your cousin struggling with coming out? Is it your BFF excessively drinking at Sunday brunches? Whatever your motivation for bringing up the idea of therapy, Epstein points out that each \u201cconversation is going to be different.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Ask yourself if they already know something\u2019s wrong<\/h2>\n<p>Another key thing to keep in mind before asking someone in your life to consider therapy is \u201cwhether or not that person feels like they have a problem,\u201d Dr. Carmichael says. Someone who acknowledges they might need help will be more receptive than someone who sees nothing wrong with their behaviors.<\/p>\n<h2>Be mindful of your wording<\/h2>\n<p>If you suggest someone go to therapy because they \u201cneed fixing,\u201d Dr. Carmichael points out it can feel like it\u2019s coming from a place of personal judgment, and not out of genuine care.<\/p>\n<p>How you frame therapy and the language you use is critical. For instance, rather than saying \u201cthere\u2019s something wrong with you,\u201d marriage and family therapist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arielhirsch.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.arielhirsch.com\/\">Ariel Hirsch, MA, LMFT <\/a>explains that you can instead tell the person, \u201cI\u2019m worried about you and the negative impact [the issue at hand] might be having on your life.\u201d She says that you must \u201ccome from a place of care by asking what they need, not telling them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Also avoid pathologizing terms (like \u201ccodependence\u201d or \u201cnarcissism\u201d), or trying to diagnose someone, Epstein says. \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/misuse-boundaries\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/misuse-boundaries\/\">Don\u2019t use the language of therapy against them<\/a>,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s not going to help.\u201d By weaponizing therapy, as it were, Epstein says it tells the person there is something wrong with them.<\/p>\n<p>The same goes for threatening, coercing, or having ultimatums when it comes to someone else\u2019s potential therapy. This is especially important to keep in mind for couples to make sure they are on the same page and see therapy as a united support system, not a magic bullet remedy for ongoing problems<\/p>\n<h2>Focus on the potential benefits<\/h2>\n<p>Rather than speaking about therapy in terms of someone&#8217;s deficit (maybe they seem overly anxious about how their kids are doing in school, or maybe they\u2019re struggling with grieving a significant loss), Epstein says the best course of action is to explain to them \u201cwhat they might gain or what they might enjoy about the process.\u201d Hirsch adds that therapy should be discussed more as a way to gain another person who\u2019s on your team. \u201cTherapy is a support system, not a mechanism for change,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n<p>For someone who has never tried therapy before, it can seem overwhelming and even a little bit scary. But Epstein says you can remind the person that therapy is a \u201cplace where you can let your guard down, take a pause in your day and help figure out what you need for your own mental health toolbox.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Talk about your own experiences<\/h2>\n<p>Another way to bring therapy into the conversation is to share your own positive experiences with therapy, if you\u2019ve had them. \u201cTalking about therapy in a casual way can really destigmatize it and normalize it,\u201d Hirsch says. You can specifically name the ways it helped you in your own mental health journey.<\/p>\n<h2>Offer to help them start the process<\/h2>\n<p>If someone seems receptive to the idea of trying therapy, keep in mind that getting started can often be a daunting task in and of itself. Offer to provide extra help in finding the right therapist, including, Epstein says, asking your own therapist for recommendations or referrals.<\/p>\n<p>From <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-stop-racing-thoughts\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-stop-racing-thoughts\/\">CBT<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-is-emdr\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-is-emdr\/\">EMDR<\/a>, there\u2019s a vast array of therapies out there, and it\u2019s an important step to figure out which one best suits an individual. The same goes for finding a therapist that someone feels comfortable with, especially when it comes to race, gender, orientation, age and\/or religious affiliation.<\/p>\n<p>If someone who has tried therapy before and didn\u2019t have the best experience(s), Dr. Carmichael says it\u2019s important to acknowledge and honor that. \u201cTell that person, \u2018I\u2019m sorry you had such a negative experience, but maybe we can narrow down what was and wasn\u2019t helpful to you before and find what kind of therapy and therapist would be best suited for you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If they are interested but hesitant (or they are simply waiting to see the right therapist through their insurance provider), Dr. Carmichael says other stepping stones like therapy books or podcasts can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/therapy-waitlist\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/therapy-waitlist\/\">help in the meantime<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, if they don\u2019t feel ready or simply don\u2019t want to try therapy at all, Dr. Carmichael says \u201cas long as they are not causing harm or danger to themselves or others,\u201d remember that they only need to do \u201cwhat they know is best for themselves and their own lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Admit it: At some point in your life you\u2019ve looked at a romantic partner, a friend, a sibling, a parent, a coworker, or, heck, even a perfect stranger and thought to yourself, \u201cJeez, that person needs to go to therapy.\u201d Whether you\u2019ve spent five minutes with someone, or an entire lifetime, it can be all &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}