In life it typically happens that you work on a personal issue by yourself and refuse any help. Once you can't take it anymore, then you become open to seeking advice and counsel. The question is: from whom?
Here's a commonly held idea: Torah is all you need, therapy is unnecessary; throw more Torah and observance at your problem and you'll be fine.
And there is great truth to that. After all, the Torah is the Creator of the universe's wisdom and what He wants from us - the instruction manual. And this is the same G-d Who fashioned everything and knows His creations inside and out, shared with them His vision for life well-lived, and the purpose and mission for which everyone was created. Stands to reason that the answers to your problems is all there. In fact, the earlier generations, who faced less spiritual distraction, sensed their souls more, and enjoyed stronger family life and intergenerational support, had less psychological stress and a rich Jewish life.
But not recent generations. And for two reasons: don't get it; can't apply it.
The struggle to see the specific answer to your struggle was already addressed by the founder of Chabad Chassidus, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (the Alter Rebbe) in his groundbreaking, foundational work on Jewish living called the Tanya: "But not everyone succeeds at recognizing his specific place in the Torah" - in order to get their personal instruction.
And even if you found it, application is a problem. Says the Alter Rebbe in Chapter 3: "Daat... implies attachment and union; strongly binding your mind and fixing your thought [to a concept] without diversion [or distraction]. Even the greatest levels of knowledge and understanding, if they lack such attachment [which translates into action], are an illusion and fail [to produce real change]."
Rabbis excel at teaching Torah, bringing it to life, and inspiring listeners to actualize the lessons. But what if the listener is stuck, blocked, damaged, fearful, and closed? What if the most talented farmer used the best equipment and techniques to prepare a field and plant the finest of crops, without knowing that the field was being poisoned from underground by a nearby sewage dump? Is it his fault the field fails?
The Baal Shem Tov taught that the relationship between a Jew and G-d is a marriage; a deeply committed relationship. Judaism is not a religion; rather one's Torah study and observance of Judaism is an outgrowth of this relationship and the feelings of love and respect the soul naturally feels towards G-d. Thus, the relationships in your life parallel your relationship with G-d, and vice versa. But what if you had bad role models? What if you were abused as a child, G-d forbid? What if your parents had an awful relationship? It transfers into your relationship with G-d and makes Judaism difficult to get and do joyfully.
Tune into these issue and you know what concepts to look for in Torah for healing. Tune into these issues, overcome them, and be on your way to living and implementing Torah.
As such, a therapist should have a Torah background and employ its wisdom in their work. Only the Torah explains the make-up of the soul and the psyche, the inner workings that psychology is trying to address. Then they can effectively use their training and skills to form a trusting relationship with their client. In effect, they heal a client's relationship issues by having a healthy, positive, nurturing relationship with them. They use their knowledge and techniques to identify childhood issues that are infecting the present, blocking the path to the soul, and tainting their being Jewish - their relationship with G-d.
