You are not a rational being. You are a bundle of emotions, patterns, habits, and semi-randomly locked-in sensitivities and responses. Talking to a therapist

You are not a rational being. You are a bundle of emotions, patterns, habits, and semi-randomly locked-in sensitivities and responses. Talking to a therapist does two things: it makes you interact with a human being, not an abstract concept or idea. This uses different areas of your brain, different cognitive and emotional pathways than does reading a book or simply "thinking about it"; and it allows you to receive the benefit of trained expertise in detecting what patterns, triggers, traps, and skills you have or need to have exposure to.