There are many different approaches to therapy and these different approaches can drastically change how therapy works and how psychotherapists engage with their clients. The approaches used usually reflect the person’s reasons for coming in for therapy and their situation. As a blanket statement, psychotherapists are there to support individuals, families or couples who are looking for some changes in their life. Therapy can provide you with information on your maladaptive moods, thoughts and behaviour patterns and allows you to take control of your life, receive validation and support and learn healthy coping skills.
Psychotherapy can be used on literally anyone and everyone and isn’t only meant for people with severe mental health challenges or challenging life situations. As the stigma on mental health changes, more and more people are seeking out therapy and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was very easy to fall into depression, anxiety, feelings of isolation or even just a realization of your unhealthy patterns and coping mechanisms.
Here are some steps to take to be sure you get the most out of your psychotherapy experience:
Find the right therapist: Make sure you find a therapist that you feel comfortable with and are at ease in their presence. If you feel any transference, discomfort or blockages with being honest, you should find another therapist whom you resonate more with.
You and your therapist are a team: You and your therapist should be on the same team working towards your happiness and highest good. You as a client, need to be active in the process and work together with your therapist to set goals and make decisions together.
Put in the work: As stated above, you and your therapist are a team. Therapy will never work if you are only going in for sessions and not putting in any more work than that. Have faith it will work, desire getting better, complete the work asked of you and take the suggestions from the therapist and put in your part of the work!
Be transparent and authentic: Therapy will only work if you are open and honest with your therapist about how you are feeling and what is going on in your life. Some things may feel embarrassing, uncomfortable or emotional to talk about and that is okay. Just be sure to be upfront with your therapist to ensure the best results and remember, your therapist is not there to judge you, but is there to support you. Try not to hold back on sharing with them! If the approaches they try on you don’t work, be open about it as well as they likely have other tools in their toolbox to help you with!
Stick with it: Sometimes therapy can be challenging or frustrating and you may be tempted to skip sessions or stop coming due to this. In therapy, things can sometimes get worse before they get better. Don’t disrupt your progress and stick to your treatment plan.
Results are rarely instant: Results often take time to achieve and don’t allow this to discourage you from continuing to put in the hard work. Hard work always pays off!
Do the homework: Yes, therapists often provide homework between sessions such as journaling, documents to fill out, activities, etc. Do this homework because it often helps you apply what you’ve learned in your therapy sessions or gives you interesting perspectives and insights on your life and situation.
Are you looking to live a happier, more fulfilled life?
Let’s work together!