Colin, to clarify...
Here, we read or see on TV that almost all Americans have some kind of therapy as the norm. In the UK, therapy (psychiatric or psychology) is often treated as a weakness or failure.
I would say that your TV image of Americans with regard to therapy is skewed. Not all of us go to therapists. But there was a time when I did.
When I was in that terrible depression, I found a therapist who could help me sort out my feelings so as to know which ones were legitimate and which ones were not justified. During that time, I had a lot of confusion and my mind was often awhirl with really extraneous thoughts that somehow just clouded my whole thinking process. The therapist helped me to focus on what needed to be done and what could wait for a more convenient time. He helped me recognize that I was reverse-projecting Mom's issues onto myself. Perhaps I had a bit too much compassion, a bit too much of trying to understand what was happening to her and why.
It was during that time that I finally gave up on deity-based religions - though there were some nuggets in some Buddhist variants. Sometimes, asking "WHY" is totally wrong because it is an open-ended question that in such cases admits of no deep philosophical answer. Sometimes you need the simple answer... Why was it happening? Because she got sick. Why did she get sick? Something in her body chemistry. After that, any more "WHY" questions is like a petulant four-year-old objecting to being punished.
My therapist helped me get through that torrent of emotions by steering me clear of the downward unending spiral questions. When I finally DID come up for air, I was able to go on with my life again. So yes, I did have a therapist. But no, not every American has a regular therapist on call.