Why Therapy Works: Understanding the Benefits of Therapeutic Support

Deciding to begin a therapeutic journey can be an intimidating decision. It takes commitment - financially, emotionally, and logistically.

You might be asking, is this commitment worth all the above? Will it really be beneficial and bring a sense of relief and healing?

These are valid questions and need to be answered for you to feel comfortable taking the first step. Let us explore some evidence that explains why therapy is beneficial to you.

Table of Contents

• What Is Therapy?
• How Can Therapy Help?
• Will Therapy Help Me?
• A Case Study: Sihle
• Final Thoughts

What Is Therapy?

To see the value of therapy, we must understand what it is. Obviously, one blog is nowhere near enough to tell you what therapy is in its entirety (we have a whole series for that!) - but let me briefly give you some helpful ideas:

Therapy is an intervention, something that is put in place to alleviate distress. Therapy is usually an embodied intervention - meaning your thoughts, emotions, reflections, behaviours, etc. are included in the support.

As you will see in different bundles in the series there are various types of therapy; however, whichever type you pick, your aim will be to understand and engage with things that are causing you increased and intolerable distress.

How Can Therapy Help?

Driving Shifts in the Brain

Neuroimaging research has shown that psychotherapy supports learning-related neural changes, reflecting the brain’s capacity for neuroplasticity.

These pathways are possible because of the brain's neuroplasticity (the ability to create new neural connections - think of it as biological proof of learning and change) ¹. They allow for increased resilience and the decrease in likelihood of symptom reoccurrence.

Evidence shows therapy in daily practice matches the benefits seen in research -therapy truly works in the real world ².

Working Within a Therapeutic Relationship

In therapy, you work in a therapeutic relationship. The space held between you and your chosen therapist is one of the essential ways in therapy supports you.

Firstly, this relationship offers you a safe space to express yourself without judgement. This security can help ease emotional dysregulation with something called "co-regulation" ³.

Co-regulation is when your emotionally distressed nervous system is calmed by someone else's emotionally balanced nervous system (people need each other). Once this occurs you can think more logically and engage in self-reflection. You begin to feel safer, so your brain can engage in logical and reflective thought because it is not stuck in survival mode for that moment.

Secondly, the therapeutic relationship allows you to set goals or milestones that you wish to achieve throughout your therapeutic journey. This helps you determine what you are hoping to get from therapy as well as the lasting effect outside the therapy room.

These goals act as guideposts; however, they are flexible and may shift during the process. Your therapeutic relationship can contain any such changes and help you make sense of it.

Benefits That Continue After Therapy

Therapeutic interventions offer you the opportunity to learn certain coping skills and strategies. These skills and strategies can create change both during the therapeutic journey and once you finish working with your therapist ⁴.

Now if you experience distress in the future, you will have skills that will assist you in managing the distress in a way that is helpful to you. This helps you to continue developing your emotional regulation and distress tolerance.

Will Therapy Help Me?

You might be wondering why therapy would work for you and your specific situation. A wide range of research shows that therapy works for children, adolescents, and adults individually ^{5 6 7}. Therapy also works for couples and families ⁸.

Studies show that therapy has low deterioration rates ⁷, meaning most people continue to benefit after it ends… There is also a steady increase in emotional regulation and resilience after a therapeutic intervention ^{6 7}.

Therapy offers support for many different reasons. Perhaps your anxiety has gotten to an overwhelming level, or you are experiencing depressive symptoms. You may have experienced a trauma or are struggling with interpersonal communication.

All of these and many more reasons may be why you are seeking therapy; and you can be supported for these in the therapeutic space.

Research demonstrates that approximately 75% of people who enter psychotherapy show some benefit, with large effects consistent across most diagnostic conditions ^{5 8}.

For children and adolescents specifically, studies show medium to large effect sizes (Cohen's d of 0.7-1.0), with approximately 20% showing reliable improvement and only about 1% showing deterioration ⁷.

A Case Study: Sihle

Sihle*, a former patient of mine, was in matric when he first entered therapy. He was unsure as to how therapy would benefit him. He was especially worried that coming to therapy would make him less of a man because he needed help dealing with his emotions.

It took a while for him to feel comfortable sharing these thoughts with me - not only was I a stranger, but a woman as well. He was unsure whether or not therapy would work and whether I would understand him.

We spent a good deal of time building the therapeutic relationship, allowing him to begin trusting me and therapy space. Throughout his therapeutic process his experiences were littered with concerns around being a man.

At one point we reflected in depth about these ideas and emotions, what they meant and how they impacted him. Toward the end of our journey, Sihle said to me, "I don't know how this worked, but it did. I have ways to explore my identity and manhood that I did not before. I feel more like a man."

Final Thoughts

I am left with Sihle's statement, and it symbolises the beauty of therapy for me. There is research and evidence that highlight why therapy is effective - but the lived experience of people like Sihle show that therapy works - even when you are hesitant to start the process.

References

1. Cozolino, L. J. (2015). Why therapy works: Using our brains to change our minds. W. W. Norton & Company. ↑
2. Minami, T., & Wampold, B. E. (2008). Adult psychotherapy in the real world: Effectiveness of treatment at a community mental health centre. Psychotherapy Research, 18(6), 691-698. ↑
3. Cozolino, L. J., & Santos, E. N. (2014). Why we need therapy and why it works: A neuroscientific perspective. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 84(2-3), 157-177. Link ↑
4. Hollon, S. D., Stewart, M. O., & Strunk, D. (2006). Enduring effects for cognitive behaviour therapy in the treatment of depression and anxiety. Annual Review of Psychology, 57, 285-315. Link ↑
5. American Psychological Association. (2012). Recognition of Psychotherapy Effectiveness. APA Policy Resolution. Link ↑
6. Chorpita, B. F., Daleiden, E. L., Ebesutani, C., Young, J., Becker, K. D., Nakamura, B. J., Phillips, L., Ward, A., Lynch, R., Trent, L., Smith, R. L., Okamura, K., & Starace, N. (2011). Evidence-based treatments for children and adolescents: An updated review of indicators of efficacy and effectiveness. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 18(2), 154-172. Link ↑
7. Lu, S., Hu, S., Guan, Y., Xiao, J., Cai, D., Gao, Z., Sang, Z., Wei, J., Zhang, X., & Margolese, S. (2022). Characteristics and treatment outcomes of children and adolescents accessing treatment in Child and Youth Mental Health Services. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 16(12), 1394-1403. ↑
8. Wampold, B. E. (2001). The great psychotherapy debate: Models, methods, and findings. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. ↑

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or mental health concern.