More and more individuals are attending therapy to address personal challenges. For first-timers or individuals who might not have had pleasant therapy experiences, this one is for you! Some key questions to ask yourselves throughout the therapy process is:
- Do I feel safe in this space sharing with my therapist?
- Do I feel heard?
- Do I feel understood?
- Do I feel I can share without feeling judged or reprimanded for feeling the way that I do?
- Is there anything I am holding back from my therapist? If so, why?
- Therapy is an active and interactive process. I am responsible for my own growth. Am I doing work outside of the session?
- If you are unsure of if/when you want to move toward ending therapy sessions, one key question to ask yourself is, “Did I get out of therapy what I came in for?”
When you end therapy, you should feel more confident about handling your presenting concern(s) with the tools, insights, and progress you’ve made in therapy. While life will naturally have bumps along the road, do you feel confident you can handle future worry or setbacks? If the answer is “no/I’m not sure,” perhaps more work is needed to be done. OR maybe it’s more of a bittersweet feeling we get when we end our professional relationship with our therapist. It’s also important to note that clients often return to therapy at various times in their lives.
Like most things, the more intentional we are about “doing the work” outside of session, showing our true, honest selves in therapy, and being open to the process, the more we get out.