This type of thinking can also be a common barrier to mental health care, especially when cultural messaging suggests that it’s disloyal to air 'family business' with strangers. While it can feel unnatural to talk about personal (and possibly upsetting) information with someone you don’t personally know, it can also be a valuable opportunity to get a new and objective perspective from someone without any personal investment in the outcome of a situation. Mental health professionals have education and training in understanding the human experience and can offer insights and research-supported strategies that friends and family cannot. This means they can offer techniques to help regulate mood, thoughts, and behaviors in a way that has been shown to be effective in other people. Finally, mental health professionals aren’t involved in your personal life and are obligated to keep the information you share confidential. Because of this, you can feel comfortable speaking in an uncensored way, without worrying about what you say being shared with people you know.