Family Therapy Research Paper

What is Therapy?
I started going to therapy as a child off and on through the years. I have participated in family therapy, individual therapy, and group therapy. Honestly, I hated going to therapy and I never really saw it as a positive experience. It was something that I did because it’s what my mom said that I needed. I never went to the same therapist for more than a few sessions. I have had therapists that wanted to diagnose me with a major psychological disorder (such as bipolar disorder) and therapist that have told me that there is nothing that they can do to help me. In a lot of ways when I went to therapy I ended up feeling worse about myself. The most positive experiences within therapy were when they helped me to see that I was not …show more content…
Looking back, I think the reason I was not as successful in therapy was that I did not know what I needed, I didn’t have a purpose. I know that therapy can be very effective when it is used appropriately. I think in some ways this is why I am pursuing therapy so I can be the type of therapist that I needed for others.
I am going to use a good friend of mine for the example of outstanding therapy. My friend had a very abusive childhood. She had been diagnosed with OCD, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Major Depression. She began therapy shortly after returning to live with her parents after attending college. At this time, she was experiencing chronic suicidal ideation. I think the thing that made it outstanding is that she was finally able to trust someone. She was able to see that there was someone that actually cared for her and wanted her to succeed. Due to the therapist’s compassion, she was able to build a solid connection which was necessary for further work to be done. For the first time, she was not just a box to be checked off. She finally felt that she was being heard and understood. The therapist was able to bring the