Mental Health Therapy

Mental Health Therapy in Westchester, NY

You may find yourself distancing from family, friends, hobbies and passions.  You may feel unable to find enjoyment in the things you once did, or an overhanging feeling of numbness or sadness. If this resonates with you, Westchester Therapy wants you to know that you are not alone. The majority of people find themselves, at some point in their lives, struggling with their circumstances and mental well-being. If this is something you are experiencing, you may benefit from a mental health therapist. 

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The Benefits of Mental Health Therapy

Generally, the main goal of psychotherapy is to improve and maintain one’s mental well-being. Mental health incorporates our emotional, psychological and social wellness. It impacts how we act, think and feel. If developed in a healthy way, it can help us to handle stress, relate to those around us and make positive, healthy choices.  It also supports us with the following:

• Increased self-awareness. Through working with mental health counselors, an individual can better understand themselves. Through guided self-reflection, it allows you to further understand your own emotional and mental state, life experiences and behavioral patterns.
• Building stronger relationships. Through therapy sessions, you are provided with tools that allow you to communicate more effectively, work through conflicts and set healthy boundaries. Therapy allows you to gain insight into your own patterns of behavior and communication. In doing so, you are able to identify and work on negative habits and thought patterns that contribute to some of the difficulties you face. 
• Improvement in physical health. There is a strong link between a person’s mental and physical health, and therapy can help with both. For instance, if a person struggles with anxiety, therapy can teach them how to effectively manage stress. Effectively managing their stress levels can improve other areas such as lowered blood pressure, improved sleep and a stronger immune system.
• A space to work through past trauma. Therapy sessions provide a safe space to confront past trauma, allowing a person to process, heal and move forward. Many people struggle with historical trauma, often stemming from childhood pain such as emotional abuse or neglect. Regardless of the trauma you may carry, the process of therapy can help in dismantling the power that the past holds over the present day, reducing its lasting effects and helping you to reclaim a sense of self. 

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Is Mental Health Therapy Right for Me?

The majority of people can benefit from therapy. Most of us have experienced things such as:

• Emotional distress
• Periods of transition
• Upsetting situations

These seemingly normal experiences can leave us with lasting trauma if we don’t process and work through them. You may think therapy isn’t suitable for you because you don’t have a diagnosed mental condition, but having a space to process and work through pain is an incredibly healing experience, irrespective of an official diagnosis. 

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Debunking Therapy Myths

Many myths have circulated around the topic of therapy, particularly in recent years where mental health is being acknowledged and taken more seriously. Here are some common myths:

• Talking to a friend has the same impact as therapy. Whilst you may have supportive friends, actual therapy comes from an unbiased, professional place. 
• Therapy is for severe mental health issues only. This is untrue - anybody can benefit from therapy. 
• Therapy is a quick fix solution. Again, this is untrue, and therapy is a gradual process that leads to consistent and lasting change. It must be both delivered and implemented well to see long-term improvements.
• Therapy is not confidential. We see a lot of concern over whether therapy sessions will remain confidential. Any well-established therapist follows a code of ethics, one of which includes keeping the information disclosed during the sessions as confidential. There is an exception to this rule, however – a therapist may contact the authorities if a client presents the risk of harm to themselves or others. 

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Take Our Quiz

For mental health therapy, Westchester Therapy wants to make sure that you’re matched with the right therapist for your needs. We have created a simple quiz that takes less than five minutes to complete. We will use your answers to better understand who you are and what you’re looking for so we can match you with a top-ranked therapist. Click here to take the quiz. 

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