Starting therapy is a big step. You may have thought about seeking help for a long time before you finally contact a therapist and start improving your mental and emotional health. It’s unlikely you are seeking therapy for fun. It is more likely that you feel that for the sake of your health and wellbeing, you have to go and speak to a professional. Here are our suggestions on how to get the most out of therapy.
Therapy requires commitment
Therapy is not a quick fix. You’ll need to be prepared to commit time to it. Also, unless your insurance is generous, you need to be willing to make the financial commitment. If you are too busy or your life too chaotic for regular therapy sessions, this may not be the right time for you to start therapy. If you will feel resentful or stressed about the cost of the sessions, you may be better off waiting until you are financially more stable.
You need to trust your therapist
In order to get the most out of therapy, you need to find a therapist who is the right fit for you. You should feel comfortable with them. Your therapist is not able to help you unless you are able to openly tell them about what is going on in your life. You must be able to trust your therapist in order to do this. You must be able to not only trust that they won’t judge you but also that they’ll help guide you in the process.
Find the right fit for you
As humans are complex beings. Even the world’s most skilled therapist can’t work effectively with every human problem. You wouldn’t see a dentist for knee pain, so don’t go to a child psychologist if you are recently retired. Look for a therapist who has training and experience with working with the particular problems you are facing. If you are unsure whether or not they are able to help you, contact them and ask. Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals and recommendations.
Therapy is work
You’ll need to be realistic about what a therapist can do for you. They will neither take your problems away, nor tell you what to do. They can guide you as you work through your problems but you are the one doing the work. Therapy is not a magic cure. It requires you to turn up emotionally and be willing to explore often painful experiences. It requires you to be willing to try to think and do things differently. You won’t be coming to therapy to change others, you are there to improve yourself. Your therapist can help you only if you allow them to influence you.
