Within our modern society, the use of therapy to assist those with physical or mental conditions and to help overcome their problems is imperative. As we begin to fully appreciate the importance of expressing our mental health and understand the severity of these illnesses, it is necessary to have sufficient support and care for those in need. However, often the supply and demand are not equal, leaving the mental health sector particularly lacking. Therapy is especially crucial as it deals with physical illnesses too, such as physiotherapy, and helps those who have suffered or have been injured to regain strength.

There are many different types of therapy, with a multitude of specialisms, thus making it a daunting field to enter. If a career in the NHS is for you, and you have a special interest for assisting the mentally ill or in psychology perhaps jobs in psychology are for you. Alternatively, for those of you who want to help those in recovery, there are plenty of Occupational Therapy jobs that allow you to provide practical support and facilitate recovery for patients.

Whilst Therapy is undeniably a crucial form of recovery for many patients, there are also exciting, innovative and effective methods of therapy that are beginning to emerge as successful and worthwhile. Music therapy is an established psychological clinical intervention that utilise music to help people of all ages, disabilities and illnesses.

Another form of lesser known therapy is drama therapy. Like music therapy, it uses performance arts that are applied within the therapeutic relationship and provides the delivery of drama-based experiences and services. Both forms of therapy maintain the significance of easing the discomfort of recovery through exciting forms- it can not only act as a distraction to the suffering of patients, but often introduces them to new occupations.

Therapy is needed more than ever as societal needs develop and change. There has always been a taboo around mental health conditions, with the response often one of two extremes- ignore the problem or react negatively and assume violence is a given. This stigma and discrimination only aggravates the conditions and can lead to more dangerous and severe complications. Therefore, improvements within the mental health sector are necessary, none the least to help meet the demand of different conditions that are becoming increasingly common.

Understanding the various conditions to do with mental health is made easier through therapy, but with this form of recovery, becomes easily applicable to many locations. There are placements within schools, prisons, voluntary sectors and general health, meaning therapists will deal with a multitude of different circumstances and levels of severity with regards to mental health.