25 Therapy Dogs Delivering Emotional Support in Meme Form

And how does that make you feel?

Therapy is a double edged sword. On one hand, it's important, accredited, and can be useful and cathartic to talk about your problems with a professional who has studied the human mind. It's often seen as a universal good. A therapist is nearly a god and the person going is a humble disciple on their way to nirvana. It's an all-out cure for stress, sadness, confusion, and everything in between. And while it can be deeply helpful, it's also more nuanced than what people think on the surface. Using it as the tool that it is is important, and how it can strengthen things, or bring about a different narrative, perspective, or set of behaviors you want to practice.

It's supposed to be a dedicated, quiet, nonjudgmental space to think out loud. A therapist should be someone whose role is to listen carefully, and straddle the line between being passively guiding, listening, and helping, but also to urge a direction where it's needed. Therapy is supposed to build self-awareness, noticing communication and a stronger sense of agency. Therapy can also be so validating, to have someone nod their head and let you know that everything is okay. It can be incredibly profound.

But the downsides? Well, there's actually many. It's so susceptible to human error. The person in front of you as the therapist isn't a god, and sometimes they're really just in it for the check. Even if they're not in it for the money, sometimes an inappropriate emotional relationship comes about from the dynamic, and they could end up needing to see that patient just as much as the patient needs to see the therapist. Therapy can also be emotionally demanding. Talking through difficult experiences may temporarily intensify feelings rather than resolve them quickly. Progress doesn't have to look like anything in particular because everyone is so different, but it may feel discouraging if you're not on the path you want to be. Therapy isn't a quick fix on its own, but you know what is? Dog memes. Dog memes don't run out of cuteness to cure you, so go ahead and scroll your pain away below.