Societal attitudes towards the topics of mental health and psychotherapy are seemingly shifting. There is a growing awareness of and support for the value of mental health services. This is a welcome development.
But a good deal of stigma still exists, and may be one of the major barriers people face when considering therapy. Part of this stigma is due to how therapy is discussed, both by the public-at-large and those within the fields of health care, education, and mental health.
Therapy is often approached from a deficit-oriented perspective. It is discussed as a way to heal, to recover, to repair. And good therapy can serve these functions. But this conceptualization of therapy misses half of the picture, and implies it is only valuable for individuals with whom something is “wrong”.
In my work with clients, I seek to build an understanding of mental health as a spectrum. Our work commonly focuses on those psychological processes which can lead people to the dark side of this spectrum, BUT, when shifted, can also lead to thriving, fulfillment, high performance, and meaning.
Personal (physical) training can be a helpful metaphor. Who works with a personal trainer? Well, those recovering from an injury, those who are new to fitness, those who have specific physical goals they wish to attain, AND world-class athletes striving to be their best. A good physical trainer will focus the work on fundamentals that can be learned and applied regardless of where you currently fall on the spectrum of physical performance.
I propose that good psychotherapy should do the same. Therapy can take you from -10 to 0, but also from 0 to 10. Therapy can be as much about performance as it is about healing. And, when properly structured, it can be about both at the same time. This is why I infuse my work with the principles of positive psychology, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), meaning-centred therapy, and mindfulness: because these approaches offer a multidimensional approach to developing psychological health so that the focus of the therapy does not become only about overcoming deficits, but about flourishing.
Therapy isn’t only about “what’s wrong”, but also about doing more of “what’s right”. Including a recognition for this half of the spectrum in our conversations about mental health could go a long way to further reducing the stigma that still exists around accessing psychotherapy.