You confide in a friend about your worries. After listening to you, your friend may share her views in regard to your concerns. She may tell you, what would she do if she were in your position, or simply suggest how you should deal with your problems.
Most people have sought many opinions and tried various interventions prior to starting therapy, but often to no avail. The problem may not lie within the interventions, but within oneself who has yet to overcome the things that hinder change.
If therapy is nothing but talking, how useful would that be?
When one converses with friends, the conversation usually revolves around both parties. Personal thoughts and feelings are exchanged throughout the conversation. On the other hand, professional knowledge and training about mental health is an essential component of therapy. You are the center of the conversation. While what your therapist thinks and says revolve around you, he/she does not make decisions for you. Instead, you gain better understanding of your own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors through the self-exploration process in therapy. You then discover inner strengths to heal and reclaim control of your life.