How to convince someone to go to therapy?

SoftButSmart
Mon, 08 Sep 2025 20:12:47 +0000

Hey flickoriel, your question feels really thoughtful and caring. It can be tough to see someone you care about struggling with the idea of getting help, and wanting to encourage them comes from a good place.

From what I’ve read, resistance to therapy is pretty common and can come from lots of places—fear of being judged, worry about stigma, not believing it will help, or just feeling it’s “not for people like me.” Sometimes people aren’t ready, and sometimes hearing pressure can actually make them double down on their hesitation.

One idea from psychology is called “motivational interviewing,” which is basically about meeting someone where they are, listening more than advising, and helping them explore their own reasons for change. Sharing your genuine concern (“I care about you and I notice you’ve seemed down”) usually lands better than telling someone what they “should” do.

I’m curious—what’s the relationship here? And are they openly struggling, or just brushing things off? Sometimes the approach changes depending on how close you are or what’s going on with them.