Finally, the benefits of therapy have made to the forefront of American consciousness. Finally, as a collective consciousness, we've decided living with emotional pain is not the flex we used to think it was. Finally, we speak out loud about wanting to thrive in relationships, versus just surviving. With so much talk on all the social medias about self-care--

--and with so many more ways to gain access to mental health services

--and the collective release of the stigma and shame around mental health treatment as HEALTH CARE--comes other challenges.

It's one thing to have services available, it's something else altogether, to actually use them. It becomes even more complicated when we're in relationship with someone who is struggling with life challenges that could benefit from the safe space and healing strategies therapy provides. But they won't go-- and their unwillingness to work on their mental health is impacting your own.

While this piece somewhat focuses on romantic relationships, these tips and the links below can apply to any relationship.

So How Do You Convince A Loved One to Go to Therapy?

Licensed Clinical Social Worker Jenni Jacobsen suggests the following via Marriage.com:

• Focus on the behavior that needs to change, rather than attacking their character

"When you mention specific behaviors you’d like to see change, your partner will not feel that you are labeling them as the problem, which can make them more open to seeking the advice of a therapist."

• Start working on yourself

"Practice self-care, begin a new exercise routine or consider going to therapy yourself. When your partner sees positive changes in you, they may be more open to change themselves."

• Don’t blame your partner for everything that goes wrong in the relationship

"Avoid blaming your partner for all that is going wrong and instead tell them that you’d like to go to counseling because you want to resolve your differences together, regardless of who is to blame."

• Communicate clearly about your reasoning

"You might say, 'I feel that we have lost our emotional connection, and we need help getting it back.' If you are clear about your motives for wanting to seek counseling, you may eliminate any fears or anxieties your partner has about the situation."

• Listen to your partner’s concerns

"Take time to truly listen to your partner’s concerns about going to therapy, and validate that you understand why they feel that way. Knowing that you see things from their perspective may help your spouse to overcome any fears they have about going to counseling."

For more insight on how to convince a loved one to go to therapy, you can read this, this and this.