Will therapy make me happy?

The concept of happiness differs from person to person but a commonality that many have is they want to have a pretty high sense of life satisfaction which typically equals “happy.” This can be a state of mind regardless of life circumstances and it can also involve enjoying relationships, work, learning, creativity, achievements, and spiritual peace. Numerous clients over the years have identified a goal of therapy as “I want to be happy,” or “I want to find happiness again.” The positive of this goal is that they are identifying that something in their lives or in themselves is creating a feeling of unhappiness. The downside to this goal is that it is a lofty one for many who have felt challenged throughout their lives to create a sense of happiness. In a nutshell, the goal of being happy as a result of therapy CAN happen. Here are a few different ways that might occur.

The road to happiness…

One of the most common ways a person begins to feel happiness again and that internal joy (that is so unique to each individual) is to clear away maladaptive behaviors that may have developed as a result of a stressful job, a difficult relationship, grieving over a loss, or hyper-focusing on others vs. themselves. Therapy can be instrumental in assisting a person to identify what is imbalanced in their lives and how to create balance once again. It also serves as a catalyst for processing trauma, validating thoughts and feelings that may otherwise feel impossible to release, and creating a healthier mindset for building happiness through self-correction.

What is used to lead others to happiness?

Many people have a difficult time ‘feeling’ happy because they cannot identify what really makes them happy. In therapy identifying how to gain feelings of happiness is key in addressing this common issue. Helping people make the connection between nature, productivity, creating, relationships, and spirituality can lead them to identify the areas that bring them feelings of happiness. Using individual stories and experience also increase esteem and when esteem increases happiness almost always follows. Psychoeducation to help individuals see the ebb and flow of happiness also helps them to manage the moments with greater ease when they do not feel as happy. So, will therapy make you happy? If self-knowledge, insight, tools, and connection happens, the chances of a person connecting to their happiness can happen!