The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a major shift in thinking about how people choose to live their lives. The pandemic and lockdown measures have called into question things that were considered taken for granted and caused a shift in priorities for many people.
Some people have begun to think about the things that are really important to them, such as relationships and family, as opposed to focusing on money-making and jobs. Many people are searching for work that gives them more meaningful results.
Most importantly, the pandemic has emphasized that human beings must realize the importance of one’s mental health to ensure their overall well-being.
For some, the pandemic and the lockdown have been difficult experiences, to which aspects such as feeling lonely, feeling isolated, and experiencing fear of contracting the disease have all contributed.
One silver lining some other people experienced in this time has been the rise of accessible services, such as teletherapy provided by organizations like MyTherapist. These services and professionals help people recuperate and are able to assist people while they are safe at home.
Existential Psychotherapy
The existential school of psychotherapy was formed out of discussions on existential philosophy. As is evident in the name, existential therapy draws heavily from the idea of existing, death anxiety, meaning, and the purpose of life.
The therapy school understands human behavior as a reaction to the anxiety that they will die one day. It assumes that every individual who is born is scared to die without making a significant contribution.
This school of therapy explores the client’s life by attempting to help them understand their purpose in life and what meaning they draw from it. In the pandemic, this school of therapy could be extremely important, as individuals may be undergoing crises in terms of their identity and trying to realign the meaning they draw from their work and life.
Techniques used in this philosophical therapy include talking visualizations and talking to oneself as an external entity.
Grief therapy
This form of therapy is very specific and targeted. The objective is to help manage any form of grief that the client is going through.
This typically includes the death of a close person, friend, or relative, and as death rates rose during the pandemic due to a variety of causes including COVID-19, many people could turn to grief therapy.
Some people compare the loss of life as we know it and coming to terms with lockdown procedures as a grieving process, so this could possibly help people who are not experiencing an actual death close to the.
Sometimes, it might extend to grief faced after a break-up or losing a job. The therapist here helps the client maneuver through their grief and come to accept that loss is a part of life. They assist them in moving forward with their life without trivializing the grief. Techniques include forming routines and expressing grief through art or writing.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is the most extensively used form of therapy. The basic idea is to help the client understand irrational and illogical thoughts that they might be engaging in and help unravel those knots to assist them in seeing their own reality clearly.
It can be a very powerful technique to help clients manage symptoms of anxiety, depression, or grief. Techniques include educating the client on faulty thought processes, such as overreacting, in a judgment-free way.
Therapy Post-pandemic
The types of therapy are extensive and many different schools approach problems in unique ways. Many people are currently going through some form of identity renegotiation, grieving for the loss of a loved one, or experiencing anxiety that the fear of the virus brings.
Every person’s situation might require different types of therapy, and therapy can benefit many people, not only those experiencing a diagnosed mental illness.
The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have created space and necessity for some people to think about their lives and make changes. Thankfully, therapy can help people to manage these changes and improve their mental health.
Author
Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with MyTherapist.com.
With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
