Therapy Isn’t Just for “Crazy People”: Reframing the Healing Journey

For far too long, therapy has carried a harmful reputation especially in many Latino/e/x, immigrant, and working-class communities. Whether whispered at family parties or passed down in jokes, the message was clear: “Only crazy people go to therapy.” Maybe it was said with shame. Maybe it was said to mock someone. Either way, it planted a dangerous idea that therapy is a last resort reserved for people who are broken, unstable, or beyond help.

But that idea couldn’t be further from the truth.

Therapy isn’t just for people in crisis. It’s for anyone who wants to better understand themselves, heal from the past, and learn new ways to move through life. It's a space where we can unpack the things we’ve been taught to suppress: anger, sadness, confusion, or even joy. In a world that often asks us to push through, stay quiet, and keep it together, therapy becomes a space where we can be honest, messy, and human.

Many of us grew up learning to keep our emotions to ourselves. You might have been told to "échale ganas," or "aguántate." That kind of survival helped our families get through hard times. But emotional survival isn’t the same as emotional health. Therapy invites us to go beyond just surviving. It helps us begin to untangle old beliefs like “I have to be strong all the time” or “my feelings are a burden.”

Therapy is also not about blaming your family or “airing dirty laundry.” It’s about understanding how your environment shaped you, your sense of self, your relationships, your triggers, and your coping strategies. And once you start to see those patterns clearly, you can start choosing how you want to show up in your life instead of just reacting on autopilot.

You don’t need to be at rock bottom to go to therapy. You can start because you feel stuck, because something feels off, or because you’re just curious about yourself. You can start because you’re tired of repeating the same cycles in relationships. Because you’re exhausted from always taking care of everyone else. Because you want to feel more connected to your body, your emotions, or your younger self. All of those reasons and more are valid.

The truth is, going to therapy isn’t a sign that something is wrong with you. It’s a sign that you’re ready to explore what healing could look like. It’s wisdom. You’re not “crazy” for wanting support. You’re courageous for seeking change.

Let’s rewrite the narrative: therapy isn’t for broken people. It’s for people who are ready to grow, unlearn, feel, and come back home to themselves.