Think a loved one may need therapy?
Learn how to broach the conversation, and how to convince someone to go to therapy.
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This feels especially true in our current landscape ofmeme-ified,self-diagnosing Internet culture.
Its hard to have this conversation without hurting your loved ones feelings.
And deciding to seek help is a major, deeply personal decision.
marriage and family therapist
Should you just butt out of it?
Or is there a way to broach the subject tactfully?
The first thing thats important to consider is asking yourself [is], Whats my goal here?
Am I encouraging them to go therapy because of how it will impact me?
says marriage and family therapistSarah Epstein, LMFT.
Is it your boyfriend that you think needs to communicate better?
Is it your cousin struggling with coming out?
Is it your BFF excessively drinking at Sunday brunches?
If not, they might feel defensive and cornered by the very suggestion of getting help, Epstein says.
marriage and family therapist
Be mindful of your wording
How you frame therapy and the language you use is critical.
Also avoid pathologizing terms (like codependence or narcissism), or trying to diagnose someone, Epstein says.
Dont use the language of therapy against them, she says.
Thats not going to help.
The same goes for threatening, coercing, or having ultimatums when it comes to someone elses potential therapy.
Hirsch adds that therapy should be discussed more as a way to gain another person whos on your team.
Therapy is a support system, not a mechanism for change, she explains.
For someone who has never tried therapy before, it can seem overwhelming and even a little bit scary.
Talking about therapy in a casual way can really destigmatize it and normalize it, Hirsch says.
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