What to Expect in Psychotherapy
Therapy is a professional relationship established to help you. The relationship takes time to develop, and your therapist is experienced at facilitating the process. All that is really expected of you is to be yourself and give the counseling process a try! Chances are, you will value the experience and it will include the joys, challenges, and even the mundane aspects typical of other close relationships. Change, growth, and healing occur as you and the therapist engage in the process together.
Therapists hone their counseling approach over time based on their education, training, and experience working with their clients. The approach varies from therapist to therapist and is influenced by the client. Read on to learn more about the fundamental elements of the counseling process.
Starting Counseling: Sharing concerns and background
As it begins, the therapist will explore the concerns that led you to counseling. Clients seek out therapy for a wide variety of concerns. You may have a new situation in life and desire additional support to manage it. You may have a trauma history that continues to negatively impact your life. You may struggle with anxiety, avoid situations that others enjoy, and experience frequent tension, headaches, or stomach aches. You may lack motivation to take steps toward your professional goals or even struggle to rise from bed. You may cope with distress in unhealthy ways. You may struggle to interact with others and build healthy relationships. You may struggle with sleep and silencing critical thoughts. You may be seeking meaning, purpose, or spirituality in your life. There are seemingly infinite reasons to start therapy!
The therapist will want to know more about you and get some sense of your social context and history. They may be interested in prior therapy experiences. It may be helpful to discuss your family and relationships, your work, your trauma history, and your social identities. They may explore your strengths and what helps you when things are going well. They may want to know how you cope. You may share details about typical situations that cause distress.
Establishing Therapy Goals and Approach
You will probably work together to determine goals and a plan for therapy. What do you hope to accomplish in therapy? How will your life look different when you are doing better? How will you feel and function different? What are the changes you want to make? How will you know when it is a good time to end therapy? It can be helpful to think about what you want “more of” and what you want “less of.” For example, you might want more joy, more time with family, more positive interactions with your child, more productivity at work, more sleep, etc.; or you might want less nightmares, less reliance on drinking, less conflict in your relationship, less discomfort around acquaintances, less worry about money, etc. It is important that you and your therapist have a common understanding of therapy goals as you begin.
Then, you and your therapist will determine how to approach the concerns and meet your goals in therapy. This will vary in specificity, but it is important for you to feel confident about the counseling plan and approach. Research tells us that if you believe that counseling will help you meet your goals, and feel important people in your life support the goals, you are much more likely to actually reach the goals!
Engaging in the Therapy Process
After you have completed the initial steps to establish the therapy relationship, you will move forward with the counseling plan and process! Usually, therapy is based on a routine weekly 45-50 minute counseling appointment. You and your therapist will work together to help you meet your goals in each session. You will explore thoughts, feelings, actions, relationships, your past and your present experiences and how they all interrelate. Your therapist will be attentive, curious, and helpful in facilitating the process. Sometimes therapy includes “homework”- journaling, thought worksheets, participating in activities, exposure experiments, and more.
During the counseling process, you will likely check-in periodically to see how the relationship is working and assess progress toward your goals. You may also change your goals and/or change the process together. The therapist-client relationship and the therapy process are unique and dynamic.
Counseling often proves invaluable for growth and healing! It takes time and requires engagement. The typical course of treatment varies from 12 weeks to 12 months. Many choose to continue therapy beyond one year because they value it so much. The sooner you start, the sooner you will experience the benefits!
