Surprise! I’m back to talk about therapy some more 😜. But this time, instead of sharing my personal story, I wanted to explore a lesser talked about type of therapy—friendship therapy. I actually got the idea for this post while listening to one of my favorite true crime podcasts, “My Favorite Murder.” If you’re unfamiliar, the hosts are two friends who share a love of true crime, and they’re also very vocal about advocating for therapy and mental health. Awhile back, they were sharing how they now go to therapy together as friends and business partners and I was fascinated by the idea. It makes sense though, if you really think about it. We go to therapy with our family members or our spouses, so why not our friends? If you have a bestie or a friend that you’re incredibly close to, you may want to consider the benefits of friendship therapy.
It can help with miscommunication
One of the biggest reasons couples go to therapy together is to work on their communication. The same can be done for friendships. Say you and your bestie or work wife are having a difficult time or going through a rough patch, it could just be a miscommunication. Sitting down with a third party and getting insights on how the other person communicates and responds could be a game changer for your relationship.
It can help with change
Change is inevitable. As we grow and mature, our interests and our priorities shift. You probably aren’t the same person you were 5 years ago. But if you have a friendship with someone who means the world to you, therapy can be a great way to help you both navigate your respective growth together. Don’t grow apart from someone you really care about just because you’re both changing. Therapy can help you find a way to merge these changes and see if your friendship is still a healthy, viable option.
It can help with disagreements or toxicity
Have you ever had a fight with someone and thought the issue was resolved only for them to bring it up later in the heat of the moment? When friends fight, it’s very common to experience and express anger, frustration, emotional pain and disappointment to our friend. And when we feel that way, we sometimes end up saying hurtful things that may inflict pain and rupture the bond. A therapist helps to reflect, process and express our emotions in a healthy manner. It’s best to make sure your disagreements are fully resolved and not lurking beneath the surface causing resentment or bitterness.
It can help with distance
Friends moving away is heartbreaking, but it happens more often than not. And let’s be honest, the phrase “distance makes your heart grow fonder” is a crock. Distance makes it easier to disconnect, bit by bit. When there is physical distance between two friends due to new jobs, new romances or what have you, it’s hard. All of a sudden there are increased differences due to hectic schedules, less quality time and a lack of communication for days, weeks or months. It doesn’t mean you don’t want to be friends anymore. It’s just due to that fact that while friends miss each other, they aren’t able to connect and communicate as frequently as they used to. And say you see this friend having the time of their life on IG stories, but they haven’t responded to your texts? This can lead one person to feel that the friendship is not the same or does not hold much value and importance for the other person. Teletherapy is a great option for friends who are apart in distance, but want to maintain their close friendship.
