Making the Most of Therapy

If you are new to therapy, you might wonder what it is that you are "supposed" to do when you get started. You know that you share what's going on for you with your new therapist, but aren't exactly sure how it's all going to work. And frankly, it feels a little awkward opening up to a total stranger with your inner most challenges and struggles.

This post is to offer a few ideas on getting started and making the most of your therapy experience.

First, therapists are trained to work with a variety of people, and we have worked with people who have a variety of challenges. In the first session, though, the intake is about gathering information about you, your lifestyle, previous mental health care, and to get more clear on your goals. There is no need to share every bit of information in the first session. It can take time to build trust and feel ready to share some of the more challenging topics or experiences. Give yourself the space to find a pacing that feels right for you. That said, if you are in therapy, there must be something bothering you that you would like help with. Sharing some information about this situation will help the therapist begin to formulate ideas on how they will best be able to support you in moving toward your desired outcomes for therapy. So this is a both an scenario. It's helpful to be open and honest about your challenges, AND it is okay to hold back on sharing certain sensitive information until it feels like the timing is right.

Here are some ideas for making the most of your experience:

1. Set Clear Goals

Before starting therapy, it's beneficial to identify what you hope to achieve. Setting clear goals can help guide the therapeutic process and provide direction for discussions. Goals can be specific, such as managing anxiety, improving relationships, or developing a tool kit. You can explore your goals with your therapist if you are not entirely sure how to put them into words.

2. Be Open and Honest

Being open and honest can have a tremendous reward in therapy. If you want to get the most from your experience and the best return on investment, getting more honest with yourself and being as honest as you can with your therapist can really add to the overall experience for the better. When you find yourself shying away from being honest, you can bring this up in therapy and work through it.

3. Prepare for Sessions

You can enhance your experience by preparing for each session. This might include reflecting on your week, noting any significant events, and considering topics you want to discuss. Journaling can be an excellent tool to track progress and emotions between sessions. Even jotting down ideas that stand out to you as important to bring up in therapy is a way to put attention and energy into. What you put in is what you will get out of it.

4. Engage Actively

Finding a quiet place where you have privacy is important and can allow you to engage fully, openly, and without needing to censor yourself due to others in the space around you. Being on time and having a commitment to engaging as openly and actively as you can will yield better results.

5. Practice Outside of Sessions

Therapy often involves learning new skills or strategies. Practicing and being open to trying new skills helps open your brain to creativity and new ways to do things. Sometimes this is a great way to reset and work out some of the challenges, by shaking things up and getting a little outside your comfort zone by trying new skills and approaches. This might include practicing mindfulness, using coping strategies during stressful situations, or applying communication skills in real-life scenarios.

6. Be Patient and Persistent

Cultivating an attitude of patience, persistence, and kindness toward yourself will help you continue to reap the reward from your therapy process. It takes time to learn new ways and build habits. Commitment to the process, as well as compassion toward yourself is key.