The Common Humanity of Mental Health Struggles
One of the most persistent myths about mental health is the belief that struggling mentally means something is “wrong” with us. That anxiety, burnout, grief, or overwhelm are personal failures rather than deeply human responses to living in a complex world. In my work as an individual and couples therapist, I see how this belief intensifies suffering, not because people are broken, but because they feel alone in their pain.
Mental health challenges are part of the shared human condition. Our nervous systems are shaped by our environments, our relationships, our histories, and the realities of daily life. We are navigating a society that moves quickly, asks so much of us, and is increasingly expensive. When people feel depleted, anxious, or emotionally overwhelmed, their minds and bodies are often responding exactly as they were designed to, by coping, adapting, and protecting.
This understanding also matters deeply within the therapeutic relationship. Therapists and other helping professionals have specialized training, skills, and ethical responsibilities that guide our work. At the same time, we are also human beings living in the same world as our clients. Many practitioners are navigating similar stressors — financial pressure, caregiving demands, relationship challenges, and questions about meaning. Therapy is not an interaction between an “expert” and an “issue” but two humans in a room, with one offering support, perspective, and a grounded steadiness to the other.
When we truly recognize our shared humanity, shame begins to soften. This shift creates space for self-compassion, curiosity, and change.
This perspective also invites us to respond differently to one another outside the therapy room. When we remember that everyone we encounter is navigating human issues within a demanding and often overwhelming world, kindness becomes a powerful and practical response. Small moments of patience, understanding, and care matter more than we often realize.
When we normalize mental health struggles and lead with compassion for ourselves and for others, we help create safer spaces to ask for support, set boundaries, and be honest about our limits. And when enough of us practice this way of seeing, we don’t just support individual wellbeing, we begin to change parts of our world.This is my personal philosophy as a therapist/business owner, and as a human.
