Are you seeing a millennial therapist? Someone who looks like they could be 40 years old or younger? Are you doubting their ability to understand your concerns and life problems?

Consider this.

Millennials are a bunch of confusing folks to outsiders. They are split between their parent’s conservative values, whilst conflicted with their liberal views of the current cultural values. Millennials may be the best therapist for you then. There are complexities to this group of therapists. They stay open-minded without being overboard, and conservative without being too constricted. Millennial therapist may be the best thing that has ever happened to this decade– a bridge in the gap between socialistic and capitalistic freedom.

Millennials want to “do better.” They want to “be better.” Partly, they are trapped in the history of the old ways and yearn to renew the world in a “better way.” Millennial therapists are the professionals who grew up in the internet age and have a great appreciation for the web of knowledge when they choose to dive into new ways of approaching treatment and recovery. In a personal way, millennial therapists are juggling the balance to maintain healthy relationships with their conservative parents and the liberal ways of the world toward personal freedom. If you have a millennial therapist, think about how lucky you are to have a professional who approaches you with openness and non-judgements, yet with heavy weights of value sets and curiosity.

Whether or not you are conservative or liberal, a millennial therapist most likely understands the struggle you feel with your family, intimate relationships, work culture, and world culture. There is not a more empathetic and understanding professional than this population of therapist. The unique characteristic about these folks of millennial therapist is that they are not shy to challenge you, while growing themselves to better serve you. With the age of internet, the millennial therapist absorbs and accepts the wide (wild) world of psychological theory and approaches to personal happiness.

Therapy is not a quiet practice anymore. It is a common household self-care subject that our culture takes on as an option for self-growth. So what is your part as the receiver of this service? Therapy requires your honest attempt at your own review of your life. Any hesitation may be due to your discomfort to this specific therapist or your own readiness to be open. So if you have a millennial therapist, be ready to be challenged in your mental-health-journey. They are the current decade’s bridge between different cultures and values, and your own connection with yourself and how you fit into the world you want to live in.

Tips: Don’t be fearful of the required honesty that resides within your mental health journey. It is highly encouraged that if you feel uncomfortable, to explore this with yourself AND your therapist as to why you feel this discomfort. Not all therapists are created equal; some have strengths where others do not. Remember that therapists are humans, whether millennial or not. The only difference is they have a specific type of training that helps you walk through your journey. You may go through life seeing 10 different therapists (and that’s okay!) as there was a reason why you had to experience so many different therapists before you found the one that fits you.