How to Convince Someone to Go to Therapy
Convincing someone to go to therapy can be a tricky thing to do.
If you’ve got a loved one that has been struggling with their mental health, you want to do everything you can to help them. It’s easy for you – on the outside looking in – to see that therapy could help. Making the leap isn’t always the easiest thing for someone to do.
In this post, we’re going to give you a few tips for how to convince someone to go to therapy. Broaching the subject can feel daunting, but keep reading and you’ll have a few good ideas to give the proper support and encouragement during this difficult time.
Approach With Sensitivity
A loved one’s mental health is a sensitive matter and should be approached with sensitivity. For those that haven’t dealt with things like depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues, it can be difficult to approach these subjects with the right amount of empathy.
Imagine yourself in a reverse situation and consider how you’d want someone to act. Use non-stigmatizing language when discussing their mental health and gently suggest that therapy could really help. If they’ve confided their feelings to you prior to this, it’ll make things easier; if not, proceed gently.
Dealing With Resistance
It’s always good to be prepared for resistance when encouraging someone to go to therapy. Unfortunately, there are still stigmas around mental health and working with therapists that make people feel uncomfortable talking about it.
If and when you’re shut down, it’s important to highlight the good that therapy has done for so many others. If possible, explain to them some of the patterns of behavior that have led you to this moment and make sure they understand that it’s all coming from a place of love.
At the end of the day, you can’t force someone to go to therapy, but if they feel the love emanating from you, they may be more open to it.
Explain How it Works
If you see a therapist yourself, then you’re uniquely qualified to explain how it works to your loved one. Many people fear going to therapy because of the vulnerability of opening up to a stranger.
Explain that this feeling of vulnerability is balanced out and often outweighed by a feeling of relief. Good in-person therapy sessions will be able to get to the bottom of these major issues to provide you with insight into your own psyche.
Have a Few Recommendations
It’s good not to launch into a conversation like this without doing some research first. If you know a good therapist nearby, then recommend them to your loved one. Those that haven’t considered therapy before may feel daunted by the act of finding a new therapist.
Do some of the legwork for them and you’ll show them how serious you are about helping.
Learning How to Convince Someone to Go to Therapy
Learning how to convince someone to go to therapy isn’t easy. The first thing you should do is ask yourself, “does my loved one need therapy?”. If yes, then look into how to find a therapist that can help and bring some options to the table.
By approaching your loved one with sensitivity and concern, you’ll help them see that therapy provides a lot of answers to their problems.
If you found this post helpful, come back again for more on family, relationships, and health.
