Throughout my life, I have heard many negative comments about seeing a therapist for a problem. However, I think the only negative things associated with visiting a psychologist for help are the ridiculous stereotypes themselves. 

Let's face it—if you have a problem, seeking professional help to fix it is only beneficial, and in no way makes you "crazy," "uncool" or "weird." Whether you're facing deep emotional issues like death, incest, rape or abuse, or issues like body image, depression or even getting along with your parents, therapy can help. Therapy is for everyday people who seek help for everyday problems—big or small.

Photography by Dan Stran

Katherine, 20, of Louisville, KY went to therapy when she was in middle school. She says her mom pressured her to go because of "body-image and eating-disorders. I was refusing food a lot." Katherine had a positive experience with her counselor and also recommends that teens seek therapy when confronted with a problem.

I've actually gone to therapy, as well. I was fighting often with my parents, and I had a gambling addiction. For both problems, my counselor was able to give excellent advice on how to manage my problems.

How It Works

Normally, therapy begins with the therapist asking some questions to figure out the problem. Once it becomes clear why you are seeking help, the counselor can figure out the best way to help your situation. For Katherine, the psychologist had her take a couple of written tests to assess why she was there.

A typical session runs about an hour long. The therapist usually asks how the problem has been since the last session, and then he or she works with you on strategies to further improve your situation. In other words, counselors don't tackle everything in one session, and then just ship you home. They have follow-up sessions to determine if their strategies have been working. If they haven't, the therapist gives you new ones. Take my gambling addiction, for example. Over time, my psychologist not only helped me set limits for myself, but helped me stay within those limits.

The most important aspect of going to seek professional help is having the desire to get help. Kathryn realized that this is essential. "At first I didn't think I was doing anything wrong to be there," she says. Once Katherine admitted her problem and wanted to get help though, she was able to recover much more quickly. Your therapist is not some sort of wizard that can just wave his or her wand and fix any problem. At the end of the day, it is up to you to actually follow the recommendations your psychologist hands you.

Benefits Therapy Has to Offer

Therapy is more than just talking to a stranger about your problem; it's learning a way to detect the roots of the issue having a negative impact on your life. As a ballerina whose body shape was just beginning to become curvier and more womanly, Kathryn faced a load of outside pressure to stay a particular shape. Katherine says her counselor helped her accept her body shape regardless of the outside world's expectations.

Another benefit is that you learn to look at yourself from a different angle. My gambling problem is a great example. By seeking a psychologist for help, I was able to see myself from a new perspective, which helped me realize that my addiction was much worse than I could have imagined. It started as a social hobby, but I ended up losing a couple thousand dollars online before my therapist helped me see I had a problem.

Lastly, therapy is a source of adult advice, only without the judgment you might get from a parent or a teacher. A therapist is helpful because he or she is a completely neutral party who is used to working with people who have problems, so there is no negative judgment or bias—just professional advice.

How Can I Find One?

In my opinion, the best place to search for a counselor is by asking either the guidance counselor or psychologist at your school. They typically work with many adolescents who attend psychotherapy sessions, and usually know who to recommend based on the feedback students have given them. This way you're not just taking a chance with someone you've never heard of, but you're going to see someone other students have said helped them.

Another way to find one is by referral. You can always call the American Psychological Association at 1-800-964-2000 to find a psychologist in your area.

Lastly, psychologists aren't the only people you can talk to. You can also talk to social workers or caseworkers in your area. Public case workers and social worker are available to people with all income levels. You can call the National Association of Social Workers at 1-202-408-8600 for more info.

Don't Buy into the Stereotypes

When many people think of going to see a psychologist, they fear being labeled as "crazy" for the rest of their lives. Relax. Seeking psychotherapy does not mean that you'll never be able to stop going. In fact, many times the issue at hand can be resolved within a short period of time, and you're always free to stop whenever you want. In other words, don't fear commitment; there isn't much of one. Depending on the severity of the issue, one might attend once a week, once every two weeks, or even as little as once a month.

In addition, the recommendation is that you go only until your situation improves. After you overcome your issue, it's all over. Katherine, for example, only needed to go for about four or five sessions before she was eating healthily again. On the other hand, it took me over a year of therapy to overcome my problems with gambling and my parents.

"Counseling is an excellent resource to take advantage of because it can help you so much, regardless of how people refer to it," says Kathryn. "If you're embarrassed about having to seek help for a problem, just don't talk about [your therapy sessions] with others."

But, definitely, go!

I personally think that the negative stereotypes associated with therapy are completely unwarranted. People seek help because they have problems. And everyone has problems—even if they won't admit it. Trying to improve yourself is nothing to be ashamed of.