Since we've launched our series on the therapeutic experience, our inbox has been filled with thoughtful questions about how to maximize the experience. Skilled experts respond to your probing questions

Isn’t a Good Friend Enough?

For a while now, I’ve been toying with the idea of going to therapy. I’m currently dealing with a few difficult issues in my life and often feel stuck and overwhelmed. However, I’ve also been blessed with a wise, perceptive friend. I discuss what’s going on with her, and she’s usually able to help me untangle what’s going on beneath the surface and help me decide on the next course of action.

That being the case, do I really need to shell out $150 an hour on a therapist? What will a good therapist do that a good friend can’t? How do I know if I need therapy or if friendship is enough to navigate the tougher parts of life?

Sarah Chana Radcliffe responds:

A psychologist has more than a decade of professional training and supervision before becoming licensed. Other practitioners may become licensed for independent practice after three to seven years of preparation or more.

All these years of education and guidance provide professional therapists with information and skills designed to help clients resolve trauma; relieve suffering caused by mood, anger, and anxiety issues; reduce stress; relieve addictions and compulsions; improve relationships; improve functioning at school, home, and workplace; and manage symptoms of OCD, ADHD, and other psychological and neurological disorders.

In addition, professional training also provides one more critical skill that can be of great value to those who are not suffering from a particular mental-health disorder: the ability to identify and treat the issues that make problem-solving difficult for normal people.

If you feel you can manage your life just fine after talking to your friend, then you don’t need professional assistance. However, if you continue to feel stuck and overwhelmed with the next issue and the next, then perhaps you should do yourself (and your friend) a favor and get the help that can prevent you from getting stuck and overwhelmed in the future.

Sarah Chana Radcliffe, M. Ed., C. Psych., is a psychologist in private practice in Toronto, a weekly family-life columnist for Family First, and the author of numerous books on family life and emotional wellbeing. She conducts online webinars and speaks internationally about parenting, marriage, and mental health, and counsels parents, couples, and individuals.