In life, there are hard times and easy times. As high schoolers continue to progress through school, new stressors arise. Whether it be new classes or difficult subject matter, friend groups changing, or an added pressure to plan the future, many students begin to feel overwhelmed. While many are able to cope with the stress and anxiety, some find that they are unable to deal with the feelings, and they become very difficult to bear. A solution to this is attending therapy, which can be monumentally helpful in dealing with larger mental health issues, as well as just talking about how you are feeling in your everyday life.

 “The main thing that therapy helped me with was creating healthy coping mechanisms. She helped me discover positive ways to deal with anxiety or depression I felt, and now, years later, they’re the automatic response and natural tool I use all the time,”said senior Cammy Piette.

 At therapy, you can talk about a variety of topics, and receive healthy advice from professionals, who are trained to help you. It is a safe environment to divulge how you’re feeling, and not feel judged. Therapist’s, marriage and family therapists, and psychiatrists are trained to listen, help, and explain the issues that you may be having, even if you don’t understand them. On top of this, many people find talking to somebody they don’t personally know easier than talking to a family member or friend, because emotions often overpower the ability to offer good advice.

 “Therapy is very helpful, being able to speak to someone, especially someone who is educated in knowing why people feel the way they do. If anyone is dealing with something that is difficult and you don’t know how to handle it, I would recommend it,” said sophomore Jayde Malzone.

  Everybody should attend therapy at one time in their life. No matter what issues one has, their are always healthy solutions to these problems. Sometimes, it takes a knowledgeable adult to let you know that no matter what you are dealing with, there is always a way to work it out, and in the end, be stronger and more capable of handling life’s hurdles. On top of this, talking about issues can often but them in perspective, and make them seem smaller and easier to tackle. Next time you are feeling overwhelmed or unhappy, try making an appointment with a therapist. It could help more than you know. As Piette said,“deciding to go to therapy is one of the strongest things someone can do.”