Does therapy actually help you if you know what your problem is?

Yes, then you're already steps ahead. For some people, figuring out what the problem is, already takes therapy, but it doesn't end there. If you know, what the problem is and know how to fix it, you probably don't need therapy. But if you know what's wrong but can't fix it alone, that's what therapy is for.

Also knowing that they're talking to you because it's their job feels like the whole thing is a lie and a waste of time.

Only if you somehow follow the idea, that the therapist has to like you. That is not the case. It is their job and that's okay. You're also just talking to them because it's their job. Why would you open up to a stranger otherwise?

I mean you should get along together somehow, but you don't have to be friends with your therapist.

That's just self sabotage talking. Knowing about a problem is step one and it's what gets you in the door.

Just because you know you've got a broken pipe doesn't mean you don't need a plumber, just because you know your car is broken doesn't mean you don't need a mechanic, etc. There's nothing wrong with someone helping you being a job. That doesn't mean they won't do that job.

The main point of therapy is to get you to look at your circumstances in different ways and provide you with coping skills you may not necessarily have developed. You may even be unaware of whatever current maladaptive coping mechanisms you've built up over years of just trying to survive. This is where outside professional perspective comes in handy.

However! That's not to say therapy is a bulletproof process or that all therapists are good or that every therapist is a good fit for every person. I would liken it to finding your preferred barber or massage therapist or something. Sometimes you just got to try options till something works.

Yes. I knew (or at least thought I knew) what my problems were but needed help with figuring out what to do about them. Finally started seeing someone to help me with that and they did.

About it feeling fake: It's their job to help, but I did feel the same at first and told them so. That helped them understand me better.

Emotional problems often require solutions that work on the emotion level. In my experience, trying to self it yourself sets you up to try to solve it with rationality. But that often does not work, because the problem is not rational in nature.

This is where a therapist helps. It helps you to solve the problem at the emotional level. That is something a person cannot do by themselves. Asking for help is way easier than trying to do it all yourself.

I personally benefit a lot from https://healthygamer.gg/ as a stopgap measure. I still needed actual therapy, but this helped me through the rough times.

Most of my clients know why they are coming, it’s childhood (or other) trauma. That doesn’t mean they don’t get to have new insights on the topic. Also, while we talk, that’s not my main modality. We do EMDR and similar therapies that actually help people process the trauma. I’ve seen it change lives.

Depending on the problem or rather on your model of the psyche. If you are following a depth analytical approach then you need therapy to reenact your problematic relationships or traumatic events in a healing relationship with another person to integrate them into your conscious self even if you already are fully aware of them.

Yes it actually helps to talk about it and get some outside views onto the topic. Even if you know your issues and possible solutions just talking about it makes one 'more aware' of it.

Think of it similar when studying for a math exam. Looking at a solution and saying to yourself "ahh yes, I know that and that's how I would also do it" is different from just trying it yourself.

And yes it's the other person's job but they also want to help, that's why they chose this career. In Germany there are also a few sessions in the beginning just to check if the patient and therapist are 'compatible', because if the patient doesn't feel safe then it doesn't help as much.