Therapy versus Therapeutic

I went out for a run today and reflected on how wonderful it feels to move my body, breathe in fresh air, and have the time to contemplate. Some of my most creative ideas come to me during my runs. This is often because I find myself bored and free from distractions. It allows me to focus on my inner thoughts, let my mind wander, and see where it leads me.

This experience made me think about how often people claim that activities like running, yoga, reading, and watching films serve as their therapy. I understand why they feel that way; engaging in these activities feels good, and they often label them as therapeutic. However, can these activities genuinely be considered therapy? Here’s my perspective.

Activities like running, yoga, reading, and watching films can indeed have therapeutic benefits. They can boost self-esteem, promote overall health, and foster a sense of community. However, there is a significant difference between what is therapeutic and what is therapy. Let me illustrate this with an analogy about dental health.

You brush your teeth regularly to prevent cavities, gingivitis, and bad breath, right? This routine helps you maintain your oral health and avoid the pain of dental procedures. Similarly, brushing your teeth for biological health is akin to running for physical health; both contribute positively to your overall well-being. Yet, even if you brush diligently, you could still experience cavities or other dental issues due to genetics or other factors. In such cases, you’d need to visit a dentist—someone with the education, training, and practical skills to address your problems and facilitate healing. You wouldn’t expect to diagnose your dental issues or perform a tooth extraction yourself.

I hope you can see where I’m going with this. Even though therapy mainly focuses on a person's mental and emotional health, physical health and context also play a significant role in overall well-being and impact these mental and emotional aspects. While running can be beneficial, it cannot resolve mental or emotional issues on its own. Additionally, healing is not something you can do entirely by yourself. It requires a trusted relationship where someone can support you in navigating your inner world. You wouldn’t consult a dentist for depression because that would not address the root of the problem (pun intended!). So, why would you rely solely on the gym to manage your depression?

So, why choose therapy? Here are a few reasons:

1. We Aren't Meant to Heal Alone

You might be able to manage some aspects of your healing, but true healing often requires support. Therapists strive to offer you enough autonomy to allow your natural healing process to unfold while providing empathy, care, feedback, education, and clinical skills. It's crucial to be the authority in your own life, but also to challenge yourself. If you think you have everything under control and refuse to seek support, you might risk deceiving yourself about your situation. We all need help because we have blind spots, limitations, and defense mechanisms that can be effective yet may also blind us to our own needs. That’s why we need both—an understanding of our own healing journey and support from others as we navigate it.

2. Therapy Offers a Unique Relationship

The therapeutic relationship is unlike any other. You meet once a week for 50 minutes to share the details of your life at a depth you may have never explored before. Through this sharing and your therapist's responses, you build trust. The level of presence and attention you receive from a therapist is unparalleled, as they are dedicated to you and your needs. They possess the skills to help you navigate your healing process and can offer new ways of relating to yourself and others based on how you interact with them and how they feel in your presence.

3. Healing Requires Sorting Through Pain

Many people come to therapy to address deep hurts and traumas. The deeper the pain, the longer the therapy may take—not because you are broken or because the therapist wants to take your money, but because trauma and pain often lead to self-protection. This forms a psychological and physical armor that needs to be addressed before deeper work can happen. Establishing trust and safety with your therapist can take time, especially if past experiences have made you view people as unsafe. A therapist can help you understand your self-protective mechanisms, assist you in finding new ways to regulate your emotions, and encourage you to take risks that foster trust in the therapeutic relationship. Overcoming these barriers allows you to access the inner resources necessary to heal and creates space for relational experiences that promote healing rather than hurt.

While therapy is not the only avenue for healing, it offers a unique environment where deep, meaningful work can be done. Many activities can be therapeutic, and healing is indeed a complex process influenced by various factors. Anything that supports your well-being—whether through physical activity, creative expression, or community engagement—can contribute to your healing journey, but there’s nothing quite like therapy with a therapist.