How does therapy help?
Photo by Jared Rice on Unsplash
Therapy is not a quick fix that will solve all your problems over night. However, there are wonderful benefits that can be achieved with dedication and the willingness to change. For many people, it is refreshing and comforting to have a compassionate and validating person to share their struggles with. A therapist can also help to provide different perspectives and be a great sounding board for problem solving. In therapy, you might find new and innovative ways to dealing with situations that you have never thought of before or find the freedom and safety to processing past issues that have been difficult to face on your own. Although I can never take away the pain you are experiencing, I can help lift the weight of this burden so that you can walk along this journey of healing.
Benefits that can be gained in therapy:
- Emotional regulation and distress tolerance to manage difficult emotions that can be overwhelming.
- Coping and stress-management techniques to help alleviate anxiety and depressive symptoms.
- Communication and conflict resolution skills that allow you to work through relationship issues that affect your mental health.
- Interpersonal relationship skills and techniques to improve happiness in relationships.
- Problem solving skills to help you tackle difficult situations that seem daunting.
- Improving self-esteem, self-compassion, and self- confidence.
- Establishing boundaries and learning to put yourself first.
- Processing past traumatic experiences or feelings that may still affect your life and current happiness.
- Increased emotional awareness as well as learning and adapting core beliefs or thoughts that could be holding your back.
- Learning to quiet your inner negative critic and believe in your own strengths and positive qualities.
- Finding peace and resolution to issues that originally brought you to therapy.
No matter what your reasons are for seeking out therapy, there is a wide variety of treatment modalities that can be utilized to help you achieve the goals of your dreams. During your first appointment, these goals will be explored, and an individualized treatment plan will be created to fit your unique needs.
4 Things you might expect from therapy:
1. Assess your circumstances
Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash
During our first session, we will explore your reasons for seeking out therapy, discuss current and past experiences, and explore your goals and needs for change. From there, we will determine together the type of therapy that works best for you and what it will entail. In addition, I may provide you information about psychology-based topics or therapy techniques we will be utilizing. The therapy techniques we establish will always be based on your own wishes and can always be stopped or changed if they are not working for you.
2. Build a relationship
Our first session will be about getting to know one another. I will ask questions to help me better understand your primary issues and concerns, as well as your history in terms of other events in your life, family, childhood, and career. However, you are welcome to ask questions too! I understand that coming to a complete stranger about your problems can feel strange and knowing a little bit about me can help some feel more comfortable and safer. In order for therapy to be successful, it is imperative we establish a client/therapist relationship that is supportive and honest. Each client/therapist relationship is unique but certain values and themes are true for all sessions, including:
- You can expect to be treated with compassion, empathy, respect, and understanding.
- You can expect to be presented with someone who is available to listen to you and listen to your interpretation of what you are currently experiencing.
- You can expect to receive knowledgeable and scientifically backed techniques and information to assist you in overcoming your related struggles and create positive change in your life.
- You can expect to arrive in a safe, supportive, and confidential space.
3. Actions for Change
Throughout our sessions, we will be exploring and developing various techniques and skills that can help you create the change you desire. In order to achieve your goals, there may be times when you will be asked to work on these skills on your own time outside of our sessions. This might be implementing coping strategies in your day to day life, reading a book pertaining to your specific circumstances, or tracking patterns, thoughts, and feelings that are affecting your life. Although I will provide information and support towards your change, successful improvement can only be achieved when you take an active role in your healing.
4. Processing memories, thought, feelings.
Evidence has shown that talking about your thoughts, feelings, and past painful memories in therapy is imperative for healing and change. This understandably can be uncomfortable and undesirable for many people. Rehashing old memories that were traumatizing or distressing is never fun. But it is often a necessary part of therapy. The more open and willing you are to talk things out with your therapist, the more likely you are to achieve the transformation you desire. As stated previously, I will always offer compassion, validation, and understanding to whatever you share, and it will be of high importance to me to help you manage the distress you may feel from whatever we discuss.
“Being human is not hard because you’re doing it wrong, it’s hard because you’re doing it right.”
-Glennon Doyle
Is therapy confidential?
As a general rule, all therapy sessions are confidential and is protected by law, unless you request otherwise. Whatever you share or discuss with your therapist will not be shared or disclosed without prior written consent from the client.
There are exceptions to this law however, and the therapist can disclose information from the session which include the following:
- emergency situations
- threats of serious harm to yourself or others
- suspicions or reports of abuse/harm of a child or elder
- threats to national security or plots of terrorism
- billing/collection
- information needed to bill insurance
- consultation with trusted counselor or supervisor for continuity of care
Suicidal/homicidal thoughts can sometimes be an unpleasant but normal symptom of mental health struggles. The therapist will attempt to work through this in the therapy session and help the client re-establish safety and confidence in their ability to cope. However, if it appears that the client or someone else is still in danger and further actions is needed to ensure the safety of the client or someone else, the therapist is required by law to alert authorities or someone in the client’s life that can ensure safety.
