Have you ever wondered what exactly happens when someone goes to therapy?

Well, don't look to TV or movies for answers, because pop culture usually misses the mark by a lot.

And when it's such a black box, many people who could benefit from therapy are hesitant to try.

Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist.

I'm your host Dr. Jade Wu.

Every week, I'll help you meet life's challenges

with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

Today, let's demystify the idea of going to therapy with a down-to-earth overview

of what types of therapy there are and what types of problems

they can help with. This will set the scene for a three-part mini-series on just

what therapy is, followed next week by a behind the scenes look at cognitive behavioral therapy or

CBT and the week after by a practical guide on how to find the right therapist.

When someone says they're going to therapy, what comes to mind?

Perhaps you imagine them lying on a couch the way they do in New Yorker cartoons, while

a serious-looking man in a sweater vest and glasses takes

notes, pausing in a while to ask, and how does that make you feel?

Or perhaps you think of that scene in Goodwill Hunting, where Robin Williams's character,

a therapist, keeps repeating, it's not your fault until his patient breaks down and cries in

his arms.

In real life, therapy does not look like that.

At least, not the vast majority of the time.

People don't lie down anymore.

...