Gabi*, a timid nine-year-old, steps into a warm, herbal scented room and takes a seat on a fluffy white couch. She is in her first therapy session, which her parents set up for her after they decided to get divorced. In the background, a diffuser hums softly, and the therapist begins to question Gabi about her life.
Seven years later, Gabi still finds herself in the same office. Although she started attending therapy to help process her parents’ divorce, Gabi said she continues to go because of how much it has helped her personal development.
“Therapy has not only helped me through certain problems and issues in my life, but it’s also helped me as a person,” Gabi said. “It’s definitely made me evolve and see certain situations differently. It gives you an outlet to share your emotions and a safe space to share how you feel.”
In the United States, 16.8% of 12-to-17-year-olds have received mental health treatment, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). At the school, 31.6% of students reported that they have attended therapy, according to a Chronicle poll.
Counselor Emily Joyner said the fact that students at the school have more mental health issues in comparison to similar schools contributes to the prevalence of therapy.
“There were statistics that came out last year that Harvard-Westlake had slightly higher levels of depression and anxiety compared with similar schools in the area,” Joyner said. “The main reasons [students seek therapy] are anxiety, a sense of imposter phenomenon, depression and negatively comparing themselves to others.”
Meggie Purpura is a Los Angeles-based licensed therapist who specializes in treating teen girls and young women. Purpura said there are many reasons people may choose to start attending therapy.
“Some people choose to start therapy because they are feeling overwhelmed with school and fearful about the future,” Purpura said. “Others are struggling with family dynamics or social anxiety. Sometimes, a distressing experience can create a trauma response and impact someone’s sense of self and safety in their minds and bodies. People choose therapy for many reasons, and sometimes [they] simply want a confidential space to talk and better understand themselves and their relationships.”
Joyner said therapy can help students by giving them a designated space to work through issues they may be facing.
“The biggest contributor to therapy improving one’s quality of life and well-being is the relationship that you have with the therapist,” Joyner said. “It’s a relationship where you can bring whatever is going on, and you have a space to process and talk it through with a licensed clinician.”
Moses Ma ’26 said he attended therapy following the death of Trey Brown III ’25 in the summer of 2023. Ma said despite initially viewing therapy as unnecessary for himself, it has positively affected his mindset.
“I never thought I needed therapy or needed to see a psychologist, but I found out that some things I thought were normal were not,” Ma said. “Going to therapy has made me become aware of a lot of things around me and the way that I deal with problems.”
Ma said the competitive nature of students at the school is another contributing factor to the anxiety that students feel.
“School shouldn’t be a place of competition,” Ma said. “It should be a place where we focus on ourselves, not others. There are some things I feel people are too competitive about, causing Harvard-Westlake to be a stressful place.”
Joyner said more students have turned to therapy to process the recent tragedies that have occurred at the school.
“There’s a connection between [students attending therapy] and trauma related to the deaths of students in recent years by suicide,” Joyner said. “The school is still in crisis mode around that where students can feel that in the air, even if it’s not being expressly talked about.”
Nationwide, a typical in-person therapy session costs between $100-250 before insurance, according to Healthline. Because of this, people of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to afford therapy in addition to being more prone to mental health issues, according to the National Library of Medicine.
For students who are unable to or do not want to attend outside therapy, there are in-school mental health support options, such as the school counselors and Peer Support, a student run organization where students meet in groups to share about things happening in their lives. Joyner said although counseling is not the same thing as therapy, it can help students with short-term issues.
“Counseling is a first stop for somebody who might be feeling distressed and just needs to talk to somebody,” Joyner said. “We also can help bridge [students] to outside therapy, [which] is more focused on the specific issues that are presenting for the student. Not everybody needs to be in therapy. Sometimes there’s this idea that everybody does, but that’s not true for some people. It might not be a good fit, and there are other ways to get support.”
Gabi said she feels a higher level of trust with her outside therapist than with in-school support options.
“I’ve gone to my counselor a few times, and I go to Peer Support,” Gabi said. “They’re definitely helpful outlets, however, they’re not the same as [therapy] because with a therapist, you know that you can trust them with everything.”
About 75% of people who attend therapy show some improvements in emotional and psychological well-being, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Gabi said because therapy helps a wide variety of people, it should not have negative connotations.
“Sometimes there’s a stigma around therapy where [people think] there’s something wrong with anyone [who attends therapy],” Gabi said. “I genuinely don’t think that there’s anything wrong with asking for support and help, and you don’t have to be in a dire position to want to or need to be in therapy. There’s so many different types of people in therapy, and it can help even if you don’t think it will.”
Purpura said therapy helps people navigate challenges through personal exploration.
“Therapy creates a safe space to explore feelings and thoughts that feel too hard or scary to explore on your own,” Purpura said. “Sometimes we edit ourselves when talking to our friends, parents or teachers, but the confidentiality and encouragement of a therapist allows you to be more honest and vulnerable. Therapy is not a quick fix, but they can guide you through difficult feelings and life experiences. A supportive therapist will help you feel less alone and provide you with tools to manage feelings of anxiety and fear in your day-to-day life.”
*Name has been changed
