Tyler Perry Opens Up About Seeking Therapy At 54: “I’m Living The Freest”

According to Tyler Perry, it’s never too late to start prioritizing your mental health.

The acclaimed director, producer, and writer recently appeared on The View and shared a transformative milestone in his personal journey. Perry revealed that he started therapy for the first time at the age of 54, after co-host, Joy Behar, had sparked his interest during a previous visit to the show.

Reflecting on their prior conversation, Behar reminded Perry of the moment she encouraged him to consider therapy. “The last time you were here, you were talking about your documentary, Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story, and the traumatic childhood you had,” she began. “I asked, ‘Have you gone to therapy?’ because I always think that’s the solution to emotional issues—it worked for me.”

Perry responded: “I really took your advice. I went to therapy for the first time at 54 last year.” He then went on to add how therapy has transformed his life.

“I’m living the freest, best part of my life,” he said. “I’d been bound by so much trauma, so much pain, so much heartache and heartbreak, and you were right, Joy. Therapy was the right move. I would recommend it to anyone—but only with the right therapist, because the wrong one will make you crazy as hell!”

Behar also expressed how therapy can be effective for those who find difficultly talking about—or even understanding—traumatic events. Perry agreed, explaining how therapy bridged a gap in his understanding of his own life story.

“I knew all the trauma and I had all the bells and tools to understand it, ‘cause as a writer I would always chase down the motivations of my characters and I used that for myself,” he said. “But I didn’t have the understanding of, now I have the information, now what do you do with it? So getting the information was so powerful.” 

Watch Tyler Perry speak on the importance of therapy above.