Yes, I’m seeing a therapist. Or at least, I was for a good solid three months. I should probably still be seeing her, but after cancelling my last session, I’ve yet to visit her again. I should’ve seen a therapist long before this year, yet even though I majored in psychology, I never put much merit in seeking such help. After all, for those who know me, I’ve never been one to shy away from talking about what’s on my mind.

But it’s not the same. I learned that my fifth week in.

I still remember that day. I sat down, cross-legged on the chair with a bottle of water nestled between my legs and my phone tucked away nearby even though I’d put it on “do not disturb,” and immediately started rambling on about my week. I usually started off with a brief recap, which would lead down several confusing paths that — in my mind — would always converge to a single point. Ha! Yeah right.

…so simple and yet so powerful…

My therapist never seemed to mind though. Instead of interrupting me, she would let my words flood the room like an open dam. This day, however, she decided to direct the flow more purposefully. It was this day that I learned how eye-opening therapy could be. Instead of talking about what I’ve been going through recently — the whole reason why I finally bit the bullet — she drew my attention to the way I spoke. She wanted me to forget about what I was talking about and concentrate on how I was talking. That shift in perspective was so simple and yet so powerful.

All of a sudden I understood why such countries as Argentina considered psychotherapy more as preventative rather than an actual treatment. Like a big “eff you” to the mental health stigma in America, Argentina’s approach is meant to be used as a tool “not only to cure emotional and psychological illnesses, but also to develop oneself as a person, with a greater quality of life.” That’s not something that happens overnight — surprise, surprise.

If you’re looking for a few good reasons to learn a little more about yourself, here are five:

1. Dedicated time for self-reflection

You might think you reflect on that fine self of yours from time to time, but let me reassure you that you’re probably failing miserably. Let’s face it, humans are built to reinforce their bad habits. Unless you’re meditating an hour in the morning and an hour before bed, chances are your time for self-reflection is more like time for a ton of selfies — thanks Snapchat… And that puppy filter can only fix so much.

2. Productive sharing

Venting to a friend is not the same as venting to a professional. To be completely honest, I don’t even think it’s possible to vent in a room dedicated to sharing to a person being paid to listen. Everything that’s comin’ out of that mouth of yours is being analyzed — not judged — in order to help you look inwards with purpose and insight. It’s refreshing to know you’re not only lifting a weight off your shoulders, you’re basically tying helium balloons to yourself like that adorable old man from UP! did to his house.

3. Homework

I know we all hate that word, but let’s be honest, if you’re not actually applying what you learn in therapy to real life, you might as well just wait for the clock to turn to 11:11 every damn day to wish yourself out of your misery. And the homework ranges. For me, the thing I continue to have to work on is not being so hard on myself. If only self-loathing wasn’t the dessert to self-love’s salad.

4. Spring cleaning

Go long enough to therapy and it’ll be like cleaning away any cobwebs and mothballs that’ve accumulated over winter. Reorganizing your closet can seem near impossible when you look at the mess of clothes and shoes tossed around in it, but it’s never as daunting when you have someone to help you decide what to take and what to toss.

5. It’s never what you think it is

This is the most important thing I’ve learned. As self-aware as you may think you are, there are things you miss all together or hide unintentionally. It’s basically a form of self-preservation that inevitably does more harm than good — at least in my experience. A professional therapist is able to make connections or simply ask the right questions to get you to those aha! moments. In the end, isn’t that what we’re paying for?