May 7, 2025
Mental illness accounts for a third of illnesses in places like the U.S. 1 in 8 people worldwide live with a mental disorder. And these are the statistics for the diagnosable mental health conditions like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, OCD, among others. Even more people struggle with the stress of everyday life: difficult life transitions, relationship issues, and more.
When our mind gets sick or when we’re feeling overwhelmed with everything, one option is to turn to a therapist. A licensed therapist has years of training and education in treating illnesses of the mind. Going to therapy has become popular, but there is still one nagging question many people have about it: Is therapy actually worth it?
While the answer depends on your unique situation, the therapist you have, and other life factors, we can say that overall yes—Therapy works. Let’s find out how.
What Is the Success Rate of Therapy?
The science shows that yes, therapy is effective. Three-quarters of people who have tried therapy leave feeling better. These numbers are not just people who feel better after having talked to a therapist for a few weeks. Psychology is a science and therapists are taught to help their clients towards concrete goals, such as so many days without a panic attack, the number of hours slept or walks taken, or the healthy boundaries you put in place with toxic relationships.
A good therapist will help you come up with goals that are achievable and helpful. The keyword here is “good”. What happens to those 15% who don’t have a good experience? Most likely, they didn’t have a good therapist, or they chose the wrong type of therapy.
What Makes a Good Therapist?
A good therapist can make or break your therapy experience. Ideally, you should find someone who:
- You feel comfortable talking to them.
- Has experience treating what you need help with.
- You trust.
- Take your insurance or who has a good self-pay option.
- Is experienced in your chosen therapy modality.
A “therapy modality” is a way of doing therapy that has been proven effective. Common therapy types include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Therapy; however, there are many more to choose from. Read our guide on therapy modalities here.
Doing your due diligence before starting therapy is important for the success of therapy, but it can be overwhelming. That’s why it can be helpful to go with a company such as Lifebulb. We have over a hundred therapists all specializing in different areas of expertise and chosen modalities. Our scheduling team can take into account budget, insurance, and therapist preference when selecting the right therapist for you.
9 Benefits of Therapy
Once you find a good therapist who fits your budget, what benefits from therapy can you expect? Therapy is about more than feeling better, it is there to help you build healthier coping skills, build stronger relationships, and set yourself up for future success.
Benefits of therapy include:
- Recovery from Mental Illness: First and foremost, therapy offers hope for recovery from clinical mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, Bipolar, Schizophrenia, and more. Therapy empowers individuals to envision a brighter future, free from the constraints of their illness.
- Improved Emotional Well-being: There is no problem too big or too small for therapy. Therapy provides a safe space to explore and process emotions, helping individuals gain clarity, understanding, and relief from emotional distress.
- Enhanced Self-awareness: Through therapy, individuals can gain insights into their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, fostering self-awareness and promoting personal growth.
- Effective Coping Strategies: Therapy equips individuals with valuable coping skills to manage stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges effectively.
- Healthy Relationship Dynamics: Therapy can improve communication, boundaries, and conflict resolution skills, leading to healthier and a more fulfilling relationship dynamic.
- Increased Self-esteem: Working with a therapist can boost self-esteem and self-confidence, empowering individuals to recognize their worth and capabilities.
- Improved Problem-solving Skills: Therapy helps individuals develop adaptive problem-solving strategies, enhancing their ability to navigate challenges and setbacks.
- Support During Transitions: Therapy offers support during life transitions, such as career changes, relationship milestones, or losses, helping individuals adapt and thrive.
- Validation and Understanding: Therapy provides a non-judgmental and empathetic environment where individuals feel heard, understood, and validated.
It can be helpful when going to therapy to have a clear idea of what you want out of it. What are your goals? What areas do you want to work on?
What Are the Downsides of Going to Therapy?
Therapy isn’t free, both literally and figuratively. It has a financial cost that has to be considered, but it also has an emotional cost. A common saying amongst therapists is that “it gets worse before it gets better”. When you’re addressing all the pent-up negative thoughts, memories, and emotions, you might actually feel worse for a few weeks in the beginning of therapy. This is to be expected, and will pass with time, but for some people can be a really rough time. It’s something to consider when you are deciding if therapy is worth it for you.
Other downsides of therapy include:
- It takes time. The average person meets their therapy goals within 3-4 months of seeing their therapist every week. This will change based on the intensity of your need and how well you respond to the therapy process.
- It takes money. With insurance, the overage copay is between $30-50. Once a month this becomes at least $120/month, a fee that not everyone can afford. There are ways to make therapy more affordable. If finances are an issue for you, reach out to see what accommodations can be made.
- Emotional discomfort: Therapy can be painful, and you might not see the results right away. You have to learn to be okay with this discomfort as you process and move through it.
- Vulnerability and hard work: Therapy doesn’t happen just because you show up to the office. You have to put in the work even after your therapy session. You also have to show up willing to be vulnerable to your therapist, which can be difficult. You get out what you put in, so to speak.
With these pros and cons in mind, there’s only one question in life: is therapy worth it for you?
Is Therapy Worth It?
Therapy is probably a good investment of your time, energy, and money if you are:
- Struggling with a mental illness.
- Going through a difficult life transition
- Struggling with relationships
- wanting to reach goals
- Chronically stressed, angry, or down.
Therapy is for anyone who wants to improve their mental health. If you are ready to live brighter, reach out to Lifebulb. We have over a hundred therapists ready and excited to help you on this journey. We accept most major insurances and have little to no wait times.
