Too Embarrassed to Get Therapy?

Far too many people never get the help they need because they are too embarrassed to get therapy. But you don’t need to feel that way and you don’t need to struggle through alone. 

There are no prizes for doing everything single-handedly. Life is a team sport and we can all help each other in different ways. Life is also varied, with ebbs and flows over the years, so we can’t expect to be happy all the time, or never have a few struggles along the way.  

Getting the right support can help you make the most of life, and therapy is a great way to iron out some of the creases of life’s fabric.  

So, let’s explore the reasons why you might feel embarrassed.   

Worried about what others might say 

Don’t be. You don’t need to tell anyone that you’re getting therapy if you don’t want to. 

Counselling services are confidential so a counsellor won’t inform your partner or family, and it’s entirely up to you who you tell.  

That said, you wouldn’t feel embarrassed to tell people you were getting help for a broken leg, help to move a heavy fridge, or having a stylist choose you an outfit for a special occasion. We all need different sorts of help at different times in our lives, and it’s perfectly okay to want or need some emotional support.  

Opening up about having counselling can actually help others understand that you’re going through a tough time, and being vulnerable can help you bond with others, so telling other people isn’t always a bad thing.  

Worried you’ll feel like a failure if you get therapy 

Don’t be. You are not a failure for working through a tough time or some unhelpful thoughts with someone who is trained to help you with just that very thing. 

Sometimes people can feel like a failure when needing emotional support due to self-imposed or societal ideas about certain people being strong, such as eldest siblings, men, or extroverts. 

If Americans do anything really well, it’s normalising coaching and therapy as everyday aspects of life, with no stigma attached.  

We need to reframe seeking therapy from ‘being a failure’ to being wise enough to seek support when you need it. There’s no shame in helping yourself improve your emotional wellbeing and resilience.  

Worried about what your counsellor might think of you 

Don’t be. Counsellors are professionals who have extensive training, supervision sessions, and membership body regulations.  

As a psychotherapeutic counsellor, I see a variety of issues and events that trigger the need for therapy and not much shocks me. But no matter what brings you to therapy, there are often common patterns of behaviour and coping mechanisms.  

Being open and honest allows us to use the most appropriate tools in helping you, so don’t feel like you need to hold back or skirt around the real problems.  

There will be no judgement, just compassionate support and encouragement to reframe your thinking, improve your coping strategies, and change patterns so that you feel more confident in tackling problems that inevitably crop up through life.   

Getting therapy 

Having professional therapy is what helps many people turn a corner with their problems and stops them from repeating the same patterns or constantly hitting the self-destruct button. 

Don’t be embarrassed about needing some support, the benefits of counselling are well regarded and can mean you live more positively going forwards. 

I offer confidential psychotherapeutic counselling in a comfortable space, and this can be done remotely if needed. 

If you’d like to book a counselling session or find out more, you can contact me here.