“Who Really Needs Therapy? The Honest Answer Might Surprise You”

Hi my people,
About time we had this talk, right?

With the bizarre, borderline absurd stuff we’re all constantly facing in life, therapy seems like a no-brainer. And yet, there’s this giant neon stigma around it. I have literally heard people say, “I’m not mad, I don’t need therapy.” Can’t roll my eyes hard enough at that one.

Honestly, where did we even get the idea that therapy is only for people who have “lost it”? Why is taking care of your mental health treated so differently from taking care of your physical health? If you have a fever, you go to the doctor. If your mind feels heavy, if your heart is hurting, shouldn’t you see someone too?

I was just 13 when I lost my dad. Barely a teenager, brought up in this overly protective cocoon, treated like a little princess all my life. His sudden death shattered that world in an instant. Yes, we had family and friends all around us but honestly, it felt like my mom, my brother, and I were stranded on this tiny grief island, waving frantically for a rescue boat that never came.

Mom cried herself to sleep every night for months. My brother hid his tears and emotions, afraid of being seen as vulnerable or “too emotional for a boy”. And me? I was swimming in emotions of my own, sadness, confusion, anger… carrying big scary emotions I had no clue how to handle. If I could go back in time, I’d wrap my arms around that little girl and say ” pretending to be an atheist is not going help, here is the contact number of a therapist, go heal”.

Looking back now, I so badly wish someone had just said, “Hey, maybe therapy would help.” I wish therapy was simply a normal step back then. Actually, scratch that, it should’ve been mandatory in situations like ours.

For untimely deaths. For heartbreak. For the crushing pressure of studies. For kids who get bullied. Or honestly, for simply surviving this rollercoaster called life.

It should be completely okay to reach out for help. It doesn’t mean you’re weak, it means you’re brave enough to know when you need support. It means you’re wise enough to see that sometimes, things are just bigger than your capacity.

So what exactly is therapy?

Therapy (or counselling, or psychotherapy, all cousins in the same family) is simply talking to a trained professional about what’s on your mind and heart.

It’s a safe, judgment-free space where you can pour your heart out. You can talk about things you might not be able to share with your family, your friends, or even admit to yourself sometimes.

Your therapist helps you process your feelings, gives you tools to deal with stress and anxiety, helps you untangle confusing thoughts, and supports you in healing from past wounds.

Who needs therapy?

Honestly? Pretty much all of us at some point.

• If you’re grieving, therapy can help you navigate that messy ocean of loss.
• If you’re dealing with anxiety, therapy can give you coping strategies.
• If you’ve been through something traumatic, therapy can help you heal.
• If you’re struggling with self-worth, or if you just feel stuck, therapy can give you clarity.
• If you’re trying to balance work, studies, family expectations, and your own mental peace — therapy can be that safe pause.
• And honestly, even before marriage, every couple should think about couple counselling.

I know a friend who did premarital counselling with her fiancé, and she told me it was the best decision they ever made. They discovered little things, like how differently they viewed money, how one needed alone time while the other wanted constant closeness, how they had started having these arguments over tiny stuff because neither had ever learned healthy conflict. Therapy gave them a toolkit before the real storms came. Imagine how many issues could be avoided if we all did that!

Taking therapy isn’t just a gift you give yourself it’s actually one of the best things you can do for the people who love you. Think about it: when you’re carrying old wounds, unprocessed grief, or bottled-up frustration, it doesn’t just stay quietly inside you. It leaks out in unexpected ways, in how quickly you lose your temper, how you pull away when someone tries to get close, or how you read too much into an innocent comment and shut down. Without even realizing it, you end up hurting or confusing the very people you care about most. Therapy helps you untangle all that messy stuff. It gives you tools to understand your triggers, manage your emotions, and communicate your needs clearly. It helps you show up as a calmer, kinder, more self-aware version of yourself. And that means your relationships get better too. Because when you start healing, you’re not just lightening your own load, you’re also making it easier for the people who walk through life with you

So if you’re carrying something heavy right now, grief, heartbreak, stress, that dull ache you can’t even name, please know it’s more than okay to ask for help.

Therapy isn’t some last resort for when you’ve hit rock bottom. It’s a lifeline. It’s a rescue boat. It’s a place where you get to lay it all down, breathe, and slowly learn to carry your life with a little more ease. About time we stop brushing difficult feelings under the carpet, until one day it all explodes and leaves us covered in years of accumulated dust. Because trust me, no amount of pretending can keep the mess hidden forever.

So let’s do the braver thing. Let’s open the windows, let the light in, shake out the carpet.

It’s not always pretty work, but it’s honest, and it’s real, and in the end, it’s how we finally breathe easy.💛

Love & Icecreams

Sneha Singhvi