#30: 7 Modern Misconceptions About Going to Therapy

One of the quietest obstacles to therapy is the inner dialogue we’ve absorbed from the world around us.

 I’m not struggling enough.”
“Therapy is for people who are sick or vulnerable.”
“Other people need it more.”
"I can work it out on my own."

I hear these hesitations often. They’re not selfish or silly. They come from somewhere. Usually, a mix of cultural messaging, old stigma, and the very real human discomfort of asking for help.

Even in progressive cities like Copenhagen, many people carry outdated ideas about therapy. These beliefs–often absorbed through culture, family, or social media - can quietly shape how people view mental health care, making it harder to reach out for support.

Therapy services are for folks seeking to improve their mental well-being and navigate life with clarity and intention.

Drawing on insights from Gestalt therapy, we break down seven of the most common misconceptions people have about therapy today.

1. Therapy is only for people with serious mental health issues.

A common reason people avoid therapy is the belief that it's only for those with severe mental health conditions. But therapy is not just about crisis intervention or treatment of disorders like Bipolar Disorder or Anxiety Disorders.

Many people still associate therapy with crisis, breakdown, pathology, or a last resort when everything else has failed. But in reality, therapy is just as often about curiosity and growth as it is about coping with hardship.

Therapy supports a wide range of concerns. Many clients seek help to:

• Process past experiences that feel unresolved or emotionally heavy
• Improve coping strategies for navigating difficult times or everyday life stress
• Address relationship problems and family conflict with greater clarity, care & connectedness
• Explore personal development in a way that aligns with your values and goals
• Understand your emotions, motivations, and the values that guide your decisions
• Build more intentional relationships and strengthen communication skills
• Break free from old, reactive patterns that no longer serve your well-being
• Work through unresolved experiences from your past with safety and support
• Learn to manage stress and build emotional resilience over time

Therapy isn’t just about fixing something that’s broken. It’s a space for self-understanding, emotional growth, and reconnecting with what matters.

2. You need a diagnosis or referral to see a therapist.

You don’t need to tick a particular box or have a diagnosis from a medical doctor to begin therapy. You don’t even need to have a clearly defined problem.

Many people who seek therapy come in simply because something feels… stuck. They’re functioning on the outside, but inside, something feels unsteady or unresolved.

Therapy offers space to unpack that — to move from vague discomfort to deeper clarity. From confusion to self-understanding.

Many clients come for support navigating everyday life — stress, self-doubt, transitions, or burnout — without identifying as having a “mental health problem.” Mental health support doesn’t require a label. It requires willingness, curiosity, and a safe environment.

The therapeutic process invites awareness, not just answers. It doesn’t require you to arrive fully formed or in crisis — only that you’re open to exploring what’s here, now.

Whether you’re seeking short-term help or deeper exploration, therapy begins wherever you are.

3. Therapy is either a quick fix or a long-term commitment.

This either-or thinking can stop people from starting therapy altogether. But therapy is not about extremes — it’s about flexibility.

Some people benefit from short-term therapy, like cognitive behavioural therapy or solution-focused approaches, which offer targeted strategies and symptom relief. Others, like Gestalt therapy, offer space for long-term exploration of life experiences, patterns, and relational dynamics.

There’s no right length. What matters is that the space feels safe, productive, and respectful of your pace. We revisit your goals regularly together.

Therapy isn’t about being “fixed.” It’s about returning to wholeness. That looks different for everyone.

Sessions at Hue Therapy are collaborative. A treatment plan is shaped together and reviewed often. There’s no fixed timeframe. The important thing is that the work supports your growth in meaningful, manageable ways.

4. Therapy is just like talking to a friend.

This is such a common belief. And it’s understandable - both therapists and friends talk, listen, and support. But the nature of the relationship is very different.

Therapists bring:

• Your story is held in confidence — bound by a code of ethics and legal confidentiality
• Years of training, objectivity, and a structured approach to your healing.
• The ability to hold complex, layered emotional material with care
• Tools to discover emotional regulation, attachment patterns, and unconscious beliefs that friends may not have the tools to safely support.

In Gestalt therapy, clients learn to recognise patterns, explore their reactions, and make positive changes in real time. Talking can be therapeutic but engaging with a therapist is an active healing process.

5. Therapy is too expensive or inaccessible.

Cost is a valid barrier — but therapy is more accessible than many realise.

Hue Therapy offers sessions both in-person (Nørrebro) and online for flexibility. We offer reduced rates for packages and students.

You can find:

• Sliding-scale rates for those with lower income
• Group therapy, which is often more affordable
• Free or low-cost counselling services in community centres
• University-run therapy services for students and staff

Mental health is increasingly seen as essential to physical health, and therapy is a valuable resource for maintaining balance and resilience. Even a few sessions can create lasting change.

6. Therapy is only helpful when things are falling apart.

There’s a myth that therapy is a last resort, a place to go when everything is crumbling. However mental health counselling can be preventative, not just reactive.

Therapy helps people:

• Navigate the stress of moving or blending families
• Support family members or partners with mental health challenges
• Unpack traumatic experiences or low-level but chronic anxiety
• Build emotional capacity during transitions or difficult times

In Denmark, public efforts support early intervention and normalising mental health treatment before things escalate​. Therapy can help you recover when you feel unwell but it also helps you stay well.

7. Therapy will make things worse before they get better.

Facing emotions can feel daunting. Sometimes therapy brings up discomfort, not because it’s harmful, but because you’re gently turning toward parts of yourself that may have been buried or avoided for years. Often, that discomfort is a sign that something meaningful is being touched.

However therapy should never feel unsafe or overwhelming. Different therapeutic approaches such as somatic approaches, ACT, EMDR, cognitive therapy, and dialectical behaviour therapy support clients in staying regulated as they work through complexity with care.

It's also important to know: that you don’t have to do this alone. Many people believe that seeing a therapist means handing over their power — or that it’s only for those who can’t figure things out themselves. But therapy isn’t about being told what to do. It’s not advice-giving. A good therapist acts as a soundboard — asking thoughtful questions that help you uncover what lies beneath the surface, gently guiding you toward your own insight. It’s a collaborative process, grounded in emotional support, not instruction.

Therapy isn’t about endlessly rehashing the past. It’s about making space for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and agency — right here, in the present.

Final Reflection

Therapy isn’t about fixing you.

It’s about becoming more familiar with the parts of yourself that have been forgotten, dismissed, or buried beneath old patterns. It’s an invitation to meet yourself with honesty and care, not to change who you are, but to understand yourself more deeply.

In that process, many people find they naturally reclaim their voice, reconnect with their boundaries, and begin to relate to their emotional world with greater clarity and kindness.

Therapy doesn’t make you weak. It makes you brave.

If you’re even slightly curious, I invite you to stay with that curiosity. To explore it. To let it lead you somewhere new.

Therapy isn’t the last resort.

Sometimes, it’s just the first step.