Maybe it's not always or only the stigma but other factors that make people especially men (McKelley, R. A. (2007)) not choose therapy as their choice of treatment. Today we will discuss some of the factors that can be considered to evaluate the clients' perspective to engage with a counsellor or a therapist. Let's go through a dictionary definition of stigma-

Stigma- a strong feeling of disapproval that most people in a society have about something, especially when this is unfair

There can be many notions around therapy and stigma has been one of them. People may call it "simply talking to a stranger", "blaming the past for the present" or "blaming parents for a child's bad mental health.". However, today I have come up with some other, equally important factors that we must count that make therapy inaccessible to people.

People can be reluctant to therapy or counselling because-

• They have a circle of trust, where they can speak their heart out. So, they don't find a visit to a professional important. I am well aware that professional help is not a substitute. However, people do confide with their friends as their first choice, in their time of need. More accessible is their social circle better is their mental health (Kim, A.W., Swana, S. & Sarma, M.S. (2024)).
• They confide in other healthcare professions. This can be quite evident when people seek help from their General practitioner (GP) before going to any other health care provider. They know their GP knows their health concerns and can solve their problem when it first arises (Gill. B., Hampton.t., Geary. R., Whittaker. K. (2022)). There is no alternative to psychiatrists and psychologists, but many people visit psychiatrists and psychologists because their GP asked them to.
• People have a defence mechanism for suppressing negative emotions. This defence mechanism is built from childhood, and people consider it one of their 'healthy' ways to deal with unpleasant situations. They might displace their frustration onto other 'less dangerous' people but will not look for better alternatives. After all, no one can treat someone's problem if they simply refuse to have any.
• They don't know if the problem is eligible for a mental health professional. Diagnosis is one of the toughest things in our profession. It is not a cakewalk. Your Mental Health Practitioner (MHP) will take days to diagnose it and even there are chances of misdiagnosis. One of the reasons is that our mind and body systems are connected. Our body sends signals late but the awareness around physical issues is more than of mental issues. With all these things under consideration, people might not know if the problem they are talking about has its origin in their mental aspect and is not simply physical.
• They might be reluctant to talk to strangers. This reluctance is natural. We work for our safety and of our families. So, how we can reach out to a stranger and spill 'our family secrets' to someone we barely know? Even if people want help, they are unsure if their therapist or counsellor is the right one to open up.
• They don't consider talking as a way to solve problems. Talking and finding solutions are two different things for people. Some might want to talk things out, like women in general, and others might just go for a solution, like men generally (Cordellieri, P., Boccia, M., Piccardi, L. (2020). So, its very important to know how someone wants their problems to be solved.
• They don't know the details of our profession. There are times and instances when people are clueless about our work, our specializations and our shortcomings. They might need someone who knows how to work with solution-focused therapy but may end up with someone who specialises in acceptance and commitment therapy. People are unaware of our profession and their branches so they may sit on a 'wrong' chair. This fear also makes them reluctant to go to therapy. Additionally, they might have distrust in motives and confidentiality of the process too.
• They might have a "do it yourself" attitude. Here, a person's cultural upbringing plays a very crucial role. Collectivistic cultures- where groups are preferred to work and Individualistic cultures- where people prefer to work on their own are two strong pillars of what motivates a person (Hana. K. (June 23, 2024) ). People can have a 'do it yourself' attitude because they have been brought up like this. For them, their success and failures are their own and they refuse to share them with anyone.

So, maybe it's not always or only the stigma after all. There can be other hidden and unspoken factors that contribute to fewer people seeking therapy on time. This is the reason, why therapists and counsellors are the lat persons, people go to, for help. The aim of the article is not to target anyone or demean anyone but to shed light on how people look upon mental health due to various and valid reasons.

References -

• Cordellieri, P., Boccia, M., Piccardi, L. et al. Gender Differences in Solving Moral Dilemmas: Emotional Engagement, Care and Utilitarian Orientation. Psychol Stud 65, 360–369 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-020-00573-9
• Gill. B., Hampton.t., Geary. R., Whittaker. K. (2022) Greater support, recognition, and research for health visiting post-pandemic British Journal of General Practice 2022; 72 (721): 368-369. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp22X720221
• Hana. K. (June 23, 2024) How different cultures approach problem solving. Quirky Writes. How Different Cultures Approach Problem Solving | Quirky Writes
• Kim, A.W., Swana, S. & Sarma, M.S. Evaluating the Buffering Role of Perceived Social Support and Coping Resources Against the Adult Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 Psychosocial Stress: A Cross-Sectional Study in South Africa. ADV RESSCI (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42844-024-00141-4
• McKelley, R. A. (2007). Men's resistance to seeking help: Using individual psychology to understand counseling-reluctant men. The Journal of Individual Psychology, 63(1), 48–58.