Breaking the Stigma on Mental Health

The stigma around mental health is an overarching issue in the field of therapy. There is a social stigma, which involves the prejudiced attitudes toward therapy, and there is a self-perceived stigma on the idea of receiving therapy. The power of stigma can prevent people from seeking help. To dive deeper into the topic, we spoke with The Art Therapy Project’s staff art therapist Joshua Brancheau, MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT to give insight to some of the stigmas around therapy. Here is what he had to say:

1). People who go to therapy are weak and unable to deal with their own emotions.

Unfortunately, this is a big misconception surrounding therapy. People who go to therapy are actually facing their emotions as opposed to avoiding them, and it takes a level of strength and awareness to acknowledge that one needs support. 

There are also definite cultural biases against therapy. I used to work with children and their parents would say, “I don’t want my child to be in therapy, but they can do the arts and crafts portion of art therapy, right?” Unfortunately, most people do not understand that you cannot separate out the art process from the therapeutic process in art therapy. There is no arts and crafts portion in art therapy - it is all art therapy, and the therapeutic process is achieved through the art-making. Despite a growing awareness surrounding the importance of mental health, the stigma still exists. I think the more that people talk about the need for supporting mental health, the easier it will be for people to understand why therapy can make you stronger, and that seeking out emotional support from a therapist should be perceived as a strength.

2). Therapy is only necessary when someone is in a bad place. 

I disagree. I feel therapy is beneficial to anybody who wants to face themselves in an intimate encounter; even someone who is in a good place can use therapy to further support and maintain that positive space. Typically people want evidence-based treatments that have a timeline. However, this may not treat the underlying cause and only treat the symptom. By working with a therapist, a client can reach the root of the problem, bring awareness to the issue and learn how to positively develop themselves.

In this light, therapy can be perceived as a form of maintenance. Think about everything we do: for example, if you have a car you have to take care of it if you want to continue to use it. You will undoubtedly wear it out and have to replace or fix parts of it if you keep using it. Just like getting up in the morning and getting on the train - many people would say the act of going to work can be difficult and emotionally draining. Therapy can play an important role in maintaining a positive and healthy mindset.

3). Therapy is meant to last for a set amount of time. 

There are structured interventions that do last a set amount of time; however, not everyone who works through a six-week program, a 24-day program, or a 12-month program has necessarily achieved everything they wanted to achieve. They might have achieved the goals of the program, but by allowing therapy to be present in their lives on a regular basis could help maintain what they have developed in the program, and continue to provide maintenance for their mental and emotional well-being. 

4). If someone has a healthy support system, therapy isn’t necessary. 

Yes and no. Everyone is different; someone with a healthy support system might still benefit from therapy while another person with a healthy support system might feel like they are done with therapy. A support system and what therapy offers are very different:  therapy is an unbiased space away from the support system, which can offer different perspectives for a client. For example, there could be a dysfunctional component within a healthy support system and the client might have a blind spot related to that dysfunctional component. A therapist could help the individual explore what is happening within their support system to help make it healthier. 

5). Positive thinking and belief in a higher power make therapy unnecessary.

I agree and I disagree. Some people are able to re-frame their negative thoughts positively and are connected to their spiritual being in a positive way. They might be stable enough to function in the world without therapy. However, there are people who might still need the support of a therapist. Each client’s challenges are treated case-by-case. For me, as a therapist, I always try to meet the client where they are at, and service their needs. It is not about me giving them a regimented program, it is about me helping them become their best self. So, I feel like that is a skewed statement - it is too absolute.

Sometimes in therapy a person might not acknowledge or recognize a feeling that should be explored. For example, someone might come in and talk about the same story over and over and not have a clue that there are hidden layers of emotion and personal connection behind that story. Therapy provides people with a safe space to explore themselves in the presence of another person; the therapist can help that person identify issues or emotional barriers they might be struggling with. The therapist can also provide tools to overcome those barriers while supporting the individual in exploring the depth of their emotional experience.