Celebs who've gone to therapy

By Bryanne Salazar 5:22am PST, Feb 23, 2022

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Now more than ever, stars feel empowered to publicly discuss their mental health struggles. Wonderwall.com rounded up 25 celebs who've been open and honest about seeking professional help via therapy, starting with this famous face… Brad Pitt revealed in a 2017 interview with GQ Style that he'd turned to a therapist after his marriage with Angelina Jolie came to an end: "You know, I just started therapy. I love it. I love it. I went through two therapists to get to the right one," he said. The Oscar winner also acknowledged that he had a major problem with drinking and admitted that since college, he'd regularly consumed booze but was finally "happy to be done with all of that."

Keep reading for more celebs who've opened up about therapy over the years…

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In June 2017, Katy Perry took a bold step when she livestreamed her life — including a powerful and emotional therapy session with Dr. Siri Sat Nam Singh — for three days on YouTube. During the session, the tearful pop star opened up about her desire to step away from the public image of herself that she'd cultivated (which is why she cut her hair short at the time) and her desire to find authenticity within herself. She also delved into painful childhood memories as well as the trauma she experienced from former romantic relationships.

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In mid-2021, InStyle asked Jennifer Aniston how she reconciles feelings of distrust with her desire to "stay open to new things." The "Friends" alum replied, "Therapy." It wasn't the first time she mentioned therapy that year: "I've really gotten a lot out of therapy. Just being a public person, there's a lot of amazing things that come with that. But there's also a lot of tough stuff, because we're only human, and we tend to walk around with bullseyes on our heads," she told People magazine during an interview that debuted that June.

RELATED: Celebs' near-death experiences

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Prince Harry publicly discussed the effects his mother's death had on his mental health during a 2017 chat with Bryony Gordon on her "Mad World" podcast. After admitting that he spent 20 years refusing to think about Princess Diana ("because why would that help?" he convinced himself), Harry said he finally reached a point where "burying his head in the sand" didn't work. It brought him to a place where he was finally ready to see a therapist and talk about his pain. Showing that he's not just paying lip service, Harry teamed up with Prince William and Duchess Kate to launch the Heads Together Foundation, which focuses on providing education and resources to help remove the stigma associated with seeking treatment for mental illness.

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Academy Award-winning actress Emma Stone has dealt with anxiety most of her life. During a 2017 appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," she admitted that she suffered from panic attacks as a child and that by the time she was 7, her parents recognized her need for help and sent her to a therapist. "I benefited in a big way from therapy," she said. Interestingly, Emma also believes that acting has therapeutic benefits. "Improv helped me so much," she said. "I still have anxiety to this day — [but] not panic attacks, knock on wood."

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Jon Hamm is also a big believer in the restorative benefits of therapy. In 2015, the actor checked himself into a 30-day treatment facility for alcoholism. He later revealed in an interview with Mr. Porter's The Journal that his weekly therapy sessions were "helpful" and that inpatient treatment was "just an extended period of talking about yourself." Explained the "Mad Men" star, "People go for all sorts of reasons, not all of which are chemically related. But there's something to be said for pulling yourself out of the grind for a period of time and concentrating on recalibrating the system. And it works."

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In 2016, Selena Gomez made an important decision to prioritize her mental health over her career: She canceled her "Revival" tour to focus on getting help dealing with anxiety and stress — which are related to lupus, an incurable autoimmune disease she's suffered from for years — at a 90-day treatment center in Tennessee. Since leaving treatment, Selena has continued with therapy, telling NPR in early 2020, "I fully believe in just making sure you check in with your doctors or therapist. [Taking care of your mental health is] forever. That's something I will have to continue to work on. Yes, I don't think I just magically feel better. I have days where it is hard for me to get out of bed or I have major anxiety attacks. All of that still happens."

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Another actor who's no stranger to the benefits of therapy is "Iron Man" star Robert Downey Jr. After a long history with drug addiction that saw him in and out of jail, Robert finally got sober thanks to treatment and the help of his wife, producer Susan Downey. Today, Robert's all too happy to admit that he and Susan regularly attend couples therapy. "It's like housekeeping," he told GQ Style. "I think half the job is communicating to the point where what you're really doing is team-building and conflict resolution and all that stuff."

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On a 2016 episode of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," Kendall Jenner revealed to mom Kris Jenner that she was anxious about falling asleep after previously experiencing sleep paralysis — during which your mind is awake while your body remains asleep. The "terrifying" experience left the model unable to get a good night's rest. To cope with her sleep anxiety, Kendall went to a therapist (on camera!) who helped her by using guided meditation. Since then, Kendall has continued to speak out about her struggles with anxiety.

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Halle Berry has been in and out of therapy since she was "about 10 years old" to help her cope with the trauma she suffered growing up with an alcoholic father prone to abuse. "My mom had the forethought to realize I needed therapy," she said during a late-2021 interview with Women's Health, adding that she only sees a therapist from time to time at this point in her life.

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Over the years, Demi Lovato has been extremely open about their struggles with bipolar disorder as well as alcohol and drug dependency. In 2017, the performer told People magazine, "I see a therapist twice a week… I make sure I stay on my medications. I go to AA meetings."

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JAY-Z made waves in November 2017 when he revealed in an interview with The New York Times that therapy was a crucial part of his journey to repair himself and his marriage to Beyonce. "The most important thing I got is that everything is connected. Every emotion is connected and it comes from somewhere. And just being aware of it. Being aware of it in everyday life puts you at such a… you're at such an advantage," he said of therapy.

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In a 2017 essay for Glamour magazine, Chrissy Teigen detailed her experiences with postpartum depression following the birth of her first child, daughter Luna Stephens. She didn't realize she had PPD until, frustrated and burnt out, she went to see her doctor, who prescribed an antidepressant. She also made sure to let readers know she had plans to start seeing a therapist, writing, "I just got the name of a therapist who I am planning to start seeing. Let's be honest though — I probably needed therapy way before Luna." She followed through with her promise, tweeting in the summer of 2021, "I am happy I'm in twice weekly therapy and perhaps let's bump it to three."

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During a 2015 interview with ELLE magazine, Keira Knightley revealed that therapy helped her survive a painful and chaotic time during her 20s. "Oh f*** yeah, I've totally done therapy," she shared. "I highly recommend it… You have to give it a go. Try anything that might help."

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Serena Williams needed the helping hand of a therapist after her half-sister, Yetunde Price, was murdered in 2003. In the tennis champ's 2009 memoir, "On the Line," she acknowledged there was a stigma around her receiving mental health support and admitted that she didn't even tell her mom, to whom she's notoriously close. Serena also admitted that she, like most women, has difficulties accepting her always-changing body and that therapy was crucial in helping her find self-love.

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Amanda Seyfried might seem like she's at home in front of a crowd, but the truth is, she's long suffered from stage fright. It became even more apparent during her 2015 off-Broadway debut in "The Way We Get By." The "Mean Girls" alum revealed to Vogue that once before appearing on the "Late Show with David Letterman," she downed a few shots of Jack Daniels to calm her nerves but ended up looking drunk on the show. "It made it fun for me. But then I watched it and was like, 'That is not what I want to promote about myself,'" she said. Instead of booze, Amanda now relies on the help of a psychiatrist to help her "get over her fears." In 2016, Amanda — who's also discussed her issues with obsessive-compulsive disorder — told Allure that she'd been taking the anti-anxiety and depression drug Lexapro for 11 years. "I'll never get off of it," she said. "I'm on the lowest dose. I don't see the point of getting off of it. Whether it's [a] placebo or not, I don't want to risk it. And what are you fighting against? Just the stigma of using a tool?"

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During a 2015 interview with NPR's "Fresh Air," Sarah Silverman opened up about depression and how it's impacted her since she was young. (She also shared her experiences with an ill-equipped nurse practitioner who over-prescribed her the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the psychiatrist who weaned her off of it by the time she was 16.) Two years later on the web series "Shrink," the comedian said that she'd been in therapy "on and off" since childhood. Therapy ultimately changed her life, she said, adding, "I have a therapist that I owe so much of the best of me to. It can give you so much if you're open to it."

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Gabrielle Union made several major revelations in her 2017 memoir, "We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True." The "Bring It On" alum, who's married to retired NBA star Dwyane Wade, used her story to examine her own experiences with discrimination, family trauma and being raped at gunpoint at 19. The actress said therapy was what helped her survive, explaining, "You need to find a way to talk about the darkest parts of your life. I've been in therapy for the last 25 years. Whatever path you need to take to heal, it's the best one."

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During a 2016 interview with InStyle, Kerry Washington revealed that mean comments on social media cause her a lot of stress and unhappiness. "I don't read comments on other platforms. Not only comments about myself… if someone is commenting on a picture of Jennifer Lopez, I won't read those either. People are just so mean," she said. Sometimes, however, she slips up and breaks her own rules. "Quite frankly," she admitted, "sometimes I decide whether to read comments based on how close I am to a therapy appointment."

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In January 2014, Kesha made a major move toward healing when she checked herself into a Chicago-area treatment center to seek help for an eating disorder. "I convinced myself that being sick, being skinny, was part of my job," she explained at the time. For two months, Kesha remained in an inpatient setting where she went to daily therapy sessions and followed a rigorous treatment schedule. When it was over, she said she felt stronger: "Strong enough to admit that I needed help and strong enough to have faced it head-on… Even I need to be reminded that we are who we are," said the singer.

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In her 2017 memoir "This is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare," Gabourey Sidibe got super-real about her experiences with mental illness, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts. The Oscar-nominated actress credits therapy with saving her, explaining, "Here's the thing about therapy and why it's so important. I love my mom, but there's so much I couldn't talk to her about… I couldn't tell her that I couldn't stop crying and that I hated everything about myself." Gabby later told People magazine, "I just accepted depression as something that's part of my anatomy… When it's too big for me to just turn around on my own, I see a therapist. I see a therapist anyway. We all should see a therapist."

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In early 2011, Catherine Zeta-Jones revealed that she'd entered a treatment facility for help managing her bipolar II disorder. She later told Good Housekeeping of her diagnosis, "The fact that there was a name for my emotions and that a professional could talk me through my symptoms was very liberating."

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Shortly after the 2007 birth of her first child, Bryce Dallas Howard shared that she'd experienced "debilitating" postpartum depression that left her with what she described as "emotional amnesia." In an essay for Goop, the "Jurassic World" actress opened up about the difficult weeks following her son's birth, during which she experienced physical pain, exhaustion, anger and an overwhelming feeling of insecurity. With the help of her midwife and a therapist, she eventually learned that she had severe PPD and began treatment including homeopathy and talking to others, as well as reading about Brooke Shields' experiences with PPD in the actress's memoir "Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression." As Bryce continued working on her mental health with the support of family and friends, things slowly got better until one day, she "got this sudden feeling of summer … like everything is going to be OK."

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Award-winning "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" creator and star Rachel Bloom isn't afraid to admit that she's seen her fair share of therapists and psychiatrists to help her through difficult periods of anxiety and depression. She even decided to give her on-screen alter ego, Rebecca Bunch, a mental health diagnosis during the third season of her hit musical dramedy to further help erase the stigma of mental illness.