Former Barry and Happy Days star Henry Winkler has begun attending therapy.
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The 80-year-old actor detailed how therapy sessions have reshaped his worldview in an interview on In Depth With Graham Bensinger.
"About 10 years ago, maybe 12 years ago, I was pretty good at either figuring things out. Or making it or smoothing things out in my mind or rationalizing," Winkler said in the interview published on Wednesday, Sept. 9. "And I just couldn't do it anymore."
Before therapy, Winkler admitted that he had a lot of pent-up emotions.
"I was not being able to just [say], 'Oh, well, OK, I'll move that aside and I'll just move forward,' " Winkler said. "I needed to now empty myself out of all of the rancid garbage I had allowed to infiltrate."
Winkler was not the only person struggling mentally.
According to a CDC study,19.3 percent of adults took medication for their mental health in 2024. Additionally, roughly 14 percent received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional in the past 12 months.
Since attending therapy, Winkler has improved confidence and a heightened sense of self-respect.
"I didn't have a connection to the depth," he said. "I had to get so much junk [out]."
His relationship with others has also improved now that he is a more willing listener.
Before, Winkler offered unwanted opinions, which caused a strain on his friendships.
"And what's your view on why you were doing that before?" asked Bensinger.
"Because I was out of balance. I was out of my f---ing mind," stated Winkler. Asked if that was still the case, he said, "I'm getting there."
"I was Swiss cheese," he continued. "I was filled with holes. And I had to constantly be anxious about stepping in one of those holes. And my job is to become a chunk of cheddar, not a hole in sight."
For Winkler, therapy has helped him to be more present, which he attributes to making him a better actor.
"[Therapy] allowed me to feel and breathe, see and hear, be in the moment," which helped him become "a much better actor," the Happy Days star said.
