Going Beneath the Surface: What People Want from Therapy

In these last few years we have witnessed unprecedented upheaval in the areas of politics, social justice, the natural world, and public health. To help our patients and to support our practices, communities and the field as a whole, it is vitally important to understand what people are looking for in mental health treatment, and how they think and feel about the therapies we offer. It’s also crucial that public awareness and appreciation of therapies of depth, insight, and relationship improve. These therapies have been missing from, if not pushed out of, the public consciousness, and are misunderstood, undervalued, and overlooked by the general public.

To assess what people know about therapy and mental health and what they really want from treatment, the Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN) conducted extensive original research with the general public. Building on research we first conducted in 2020, we have new research to offer a post-pandemic perspective on the attitudes and expectations people have towards therapy, which benefits matter most, what their misperceptions and biases are, and what they know and don’t know about mental health and therapy.

The presentation will also offer a blueprint for engaging and communicating with the public, so that the public gains greater awareness, understanding and appreciation for therapies of depth, insight, and relationship.