but in the US it seems that everyone goes
I don't think this is accurate. I can take a group of twenty people I know and I think that maybe one of them sees a therapist. That's if I think really hard. There could be some of them that do and I just don't realize it, but I think that just proves my point even more. There is still a large stigma about going to see counselors and due to that fact, people either don't or they don't talk about it, so you wouldn't know one way or the other. I've often told my wife that she should go see one. Not that she has issues, but since she is a counselor herself, she takes on a lot of crap every day. She has these unseen burdens that I can't fathom or understand due to confidentiality or the fact that it isn't my wheel house. Plus, I'm a fixer by nature and she will often remind me, she doesn't need me to fix it, she just needs me to listen. I think a lot of people who do go to therapy go simply for that. It's a safe space where someone listens without judging, or trying to fix it, or whatever their initial reaction might be.
Yes. This is speaks to my point of "are the right people going?" Perhaps the people that should be going aren't, but you have a lot of people who are going to a therapist because someone in their yoga class commented somewhat negatively on the color of their lululemon pants. :D
For sure! But we live in a culture of people shouting their opinions into the void, not listening to the opinions of others. This drips into real life too and a lot of people aren't getting that "listening" part of the conversation from people in the home either. It is one-directional, often speaking past each other, talking only about oneself - but looking at each other. If that makes sense.
Men in general are looking for solutions. I do this too. And women in general don't want to be helped by their partner :D
I think that last bit is part of the reason that people might have a hard time sharing with the person they love. It's easy to want to try and take away the hurt or pain especially if you are "a fixer". Good thoughts and insight though.
I think the other thing is that it exposes them to judgement and maybe people are more selfish, so will use what is said against their partner when convenient.
Yeah, that could be.