I wasn't completely ignorant to the inner-workings of therapy before I began my journey into self-cultivation.

I have my bachelors degree in psychology, and though I didn't pursue the field any further, I've always had a sort of, kinship, to the field.

So when I first dove in, I knew what to expect, knew what was expected of me, and I dove in head first, bearing my heart and soul to the complete stranger in front of me.

The first half year I attended was spent unpacking the decades of…issues I had. Though I don't mind sharing those, this isn't what this particular article is about. There were 5 other ways therapy helped me that completely blindsided me:

1. I began unraveling my own preconceived notions about the world around me.

While I expected to engage with my values and beliefs, and what I held true and what had been forced down my throat, I wasn't expecting to start actively unraveling my own ignorant opinions, especially in the moment.

Therapy helped me to see that I was quickly forming opinions of others and situations without adequate evidence to support anything I was thinking or feeling.

This was probably one of the biggest surprises, and most pleasant, of the list.

2. I learned that I am a people pleaser, and it's my fault.

Now, before you go up in arms over this one, let me explain.

I was raised in a home where keeping the peace was far more beneficial to me thatn rocking the boat, and over the many years, I learned that people pleasing often worked in most situations.

Though the process of becoming a people pleaser was NOT my fault, I have come to realize that when I become that person now, it's often for my own benefit: I don't want to feel uncomfortable or deal with confrontation.

If I don't rock the boat, if I just keep everyone else happy, then I won't have to worry about feeling happy, too, right?

I'm sure you can see how this way of reacting to others actually harms you.

3. I learned how to hold myself accountable for my own misery.

This one was probably my toughest pill to swallow.

It's so much easier to just say "well, someone is obviously after me", or "life sucks".

But at the end of the day, I found that so much of my own misery was stemming from the fact that I simply could not take responsibility for my reactions.

Life is going to happen. Nothing is inherently good or bad. It just is.

But I founds that how I react to those neutral stimuli determines just how good, or bad, I feel.

I still struggle with this one pretty regularly, but understanding and recognizing what is happening is half the battle.

There are so many other things that therapy has helped me with, and through, but these three were not things I was expecting when I began my journey into myself.

I'd love to hear how therapy may have helped you, too, so please share in the comments below!