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- Therapy Isn’t Magic—But Here’s Why It Works
Hello! Welcome to another edition of ABC of Mental Health, your partner in the journey to better well-being – one newsletter at a time. Therapy isn’t a quick fix – but it works in quiet, powerful ways. It offers a safe space to feel heard, tools to navigate life, and gentle insight that helps you understand yourself better. In this issue, we explore how therapy helps you grow – not by changing who you are, but by reconnecting you to yourself.
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One relevant recommendation:
An article on what Happens to Your Brain When You Do Therapy (2-3 minute read).
Ever wondered what actually changes in your brain when you go to therapy? This read explores how talking, reflecting, and making small shifts in perspective during therapy can slowly reshape how your brain responds to thoughts, emotions, and everyday challenges. It’s a gentle reminder that while therapy isn’t magic, it can help your brain learn new ways of feeling safe, calm, and more in control. Curious how? Let this article walk you through it.
Two Quotes on Help Seeking & Therapy:
"The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change."
Resmaa Menakem, a somatic therapist & author, suggests that therapy creates room to meet ourselves with gentleness and regard:
"Healing happens when we stop abandoning ourselves and start listening inward with care."
Three TherapyShorts from TST
Safe Space for Expression: A client once shared how, even with close friends, they felt the need to filter their feelings, worried they’d sound “too much” or “too negative”. In therapy, for the first time, they cried without apologising mid-sentence. That shift alone felt profound. Therapy offers a safe, non-judgemental space where your full emotional experience is welcomed, without needing to perform, impress, or protect someone else’s feelings. It’s a space where your voice is centred and respected.
Understanding and Insight: One client described feeling “too sensitive” their entire life. Week after week, as we explored their childhood experiences, they realized they had grown up in a home where emotional needs were dismissed. Their “sensitivity” wasn’t a flaw—it was a survival response. Therapy helped them connect the dots and rewrite the story they’d been telling themselves for years. Insight doesn’t erase pain, but it can soften shame—and that clarity can be a catalyst for healing.
Tools for Change: As a therapist, I once introduced a simple grounding technique to a client who often spiralled into anxiety at work. The client began using it during stressful meetings and noticed that over time, they felt less reactive and more in control. These small tools, like boundary-setting scripts or journaling prompts, aren’t one-size-fits-all solutions. But when used consistently, they create real, tangible shifts—helping clients regulate emotions, improve relationships, and show up differently in their lives.
A QUESTION?
What’s one thing you believe is most true about therapy? Vote here!
Last week, we asked you how you were inclined to bring main character energy to your life, and the responses were… (drumroll please)…
Love and light,
The Social Therapist
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