July 19, 2025
How often do you come across a video on your feed where someone opens up about mental health or shares their experience with therapy? Maybe a friend, coworker, or family member has done the same. These conversations are happening more often, in podcasts, in group chats, and in the quiet confidence of people who’ve chosen to show up for themselves.
In a culture full of self-help podcasts, personal development books, and life coach advice, therapy has taken on a new priority. It has become a grounded, personal commitment to navigating relationships, stress, and identity with support and clarity.
For many Millennials and members of Gen Z, therapy is no longer a secret or a sign of struggle. It is a proactive, deeply intentional step. It marks a turning point away from silence and shame and toward self-awareness and emotional growth. In a world where burnout is common and emotional resilience is essential, more young adults are turning to therapy not just for healing, but for sustainability.
According to the Thriveworks Pulse on Mental Health Report, 70 percent of Millennials and 57 percent of Gen Z plan to begin therapy in the next year (Thriveworks, 2025) . So what’s behind this shift, and what does it say about the values and vision of an entire generation?
Carried Through Crisis: What Shaped This Generation
To understand why so many Millennials and Gen Z adults are seeking therapy in 2025, we need to look at the world they’ve grown up in. Their mental health challenges are not isolated incidents. They are shaped by economic uncertainty, cultural change, and emotional disconnection. Choosing therapy, for many, is a form of repair.
Millennials entered adulthood during the 2008 financial crisis, stepping into the job market with debt, limited opportunities, and a sense of instability. Gen Z faced a different but equally disorienting path, growing up in a post-recession world and reaching young adulthood during a global pandemic. Both generations have lived through back-to-back disruptions, not as exceptions, but as the norm.
The COVID-19 pandemic marked a major breaking point. Emotional distress among young adults skyrocketed, with more than 65 percent reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression during the early waves, according to the CDC (CDC, 2020). Lockdowns intensified isolation, disrupted milestones, and forced many to confront grief or uncertainty without support. During that time, teletherapy became not just a convenience, but a necessary shift in access. What once felt complicated became as simple as joining a video call.
This expansion in access met a deeper cultural shift. According to Harmony Healthcare IT, 42 percent of Gen Z are already in therapy, up significantly from just a few years ago (Harmony, 2025). And more than half of both Millennials and Gen Z have worked with a therapist at least once (Verywell Mind, 2025; Exploding Topics, 2025). For them, therapy is no longer just a way to get through a crisis. It is a steady, intentional part of life. It provides language for what once went unspoken and tools for growth that go far beyond survival.
In short, therapy seekers in 2025 are not reacting to headlines. They are responding to lived experience. Their decision to begin therapy reflects a conscious desire to grow, heal, and adapt. For a generation shaped by uncertainty and driven by hope, therapy offers a path to clarity, to emotional sustainability, and to connection that feels honest and real.
Building Something Steady Beneath It All
Therapy is often seen as something you turn to when things fall apart. But for many Millennials and Gen Z adults, it has become something more. It is a steady space to grow, reflect, and move through life with more understanding and ease.
One of the biggest shifts in recent years is how people are using therapy not just to manage symptoms, but to build emotional strength that lasts. According to a large review published in World Psychiatry, therapy leads to meaningful and lasting improvements in mood, relationships, and overall well-being (Cuijpers et al., 2024).
People also tend to carry the tools they gain in therapy into every area of life. In a long-term study from Cambridge University, those who completed therapy saw improvements in work participation and life satisfaction even years later. Employment rates rose from 37 percent to 62 percent over three years, not because therapy fixed everything, but because it helped people feel more supported and capable (Leichsenring et al., 2022).
Therapy also helps with things that are harder to measure but deeply felt. Setting boundaries. Being kinder to yourself. Learning how to respond instead of react. These are not just coping strategies. They are ways to live with more clarity, steadiness, and connection.
For many in this generation, therapy is not just about getting through the hard stuff. It is about building something steady underneath it all, something that helps you stay grounded, not just for now, but for everything ahead.
A New Beginning, at Your Own Pace
If you have been thinking about starting therapy, this may be the right time.
At our private practice, we offer therapy for adults, adolescents, and families, both in person and online. We are a private pay practice focused on creating a supportive, thoughtful space to help you move forward at your own pace.
Reach out for free 15 minute consultation!
References
- Thriveworks. Pulse on Mental Health Report 2025. Retrieved from https://thriveworks.com/help-with/research/pulse-on-mental-health-report/
- Harmony Healthcare IT. State of Gen Z Mental Health 2025. Retrieved from https://www.harmonyhit.com/state-of-gen-z-mental-health/
- Verywell Mind. (2025). Mind Reading: 2025 Mental Health Trends. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/mind-reading-2025-trends-8762268
- Exploding Topics. Gen Z Mental Health Trends (2025). Retrieved from https://explodingtopics.com/blog/gen-z-stats
- LifeStance Health & Researchscape. (2025). Social Media & Mental Health Report. Retrieved from https://lifestance.com/insight/social-media-mental-health-impact-statistics-2025/
- Rula. (2025). State of Mental Health Report. Retrieved from https://www.rula.com/blog/state-of-mental-health-report/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, June 24–30, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69:1049–1057. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm
- Cuijpers, P., Karyotaki, E., Weitz, E., et al. (2024). Psychotherapy for Mental Disorders: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis. World Psychiatry, 23(3), 291–310. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10449327/
- Leichsenring, F., Abbass, A., Hilsenroth, M. J., et al. (2022). Outcome of Short- and Long-Term Psychotherapy 10 Years After Start of Treatment. Psychological Medicine, Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/outcome-of-short-and-longterm-psychotherapy-10-years-after-start-of-treatment/E2F5B69FED541530B13A818CEE06D739
