What to Expect in a Therapy Session
So you’ve made the decision to go to therapy – but you have no clue what to expect. We’ve all seen the movies where the client is (stereotypically) laying on the couch, talking about his problems, while the therapist remains silent and writes things down. Therapy can be this taboo thing in our day and age – some people think going to therapy means something is wrong with you. Therapy is just like going to your doctor – however therapy is for your mental health rather than your physical health.
Appointment One: Diagnostic Assessment
In most cases, your first appointment will be your “diagnostic assessment” appointment. In this appointment, your therapist will ask lots of questions about you, your background, your family, and your life. You might wonder, “why does my therapist need to know all of this?” Getting a full picture of your environment, supports, stressors, and more will really help the therapist in understanding you as a person, which in turn helps in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment phases of your therapy journey.
As the therapist gathers information about you and what brings you to therapy, she is also gathering information to formulate a diagnosis. At the end of your first session (sometimes this process can be spread over two sessions), your therapist will give you a mental health diagnosis and you both will work collaboratively to develop a treatment plan to meet your therapeutic goals. An example of a diagnosis could be “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” and your treatment plan/goals would be unique to you and your individual circumstances. At the end of your diagnostic assessment, your therapist will give you a birds eye view of what the therapy process will look like over the next few weeks/months.
Following Appointments: Ongoing Psychotherapy
The following appointments are when you will really dig into the “nuts and bolts” of therapy. Each appointment will include some aspect of working towards your therapeutic goals. Whether that includes discussion of your therapeutic concerns, practical tools to combat your stressors, or more, each session will be unique and catered to you. Most therapists utilize a variety of evidence-based approaches and mold these to best suit each client’s individual needs. Some of these evidence-based approaches might include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and more. In between psychotherapy sessions, your therapist may assign “homework” for you to work on throughout the week in accordance with your therapeutic goals. This might include increased awareness of how your emotions and actions correlate, implementation of additional self-care activities, or more.
Now that I know the structure, what should I expect?
In every session, a few things will always remain the same. In each session, the therapist is there to be a support person for you, solely focused on you, your needs, and concerns. This is different from peer family or friend relationships, where both parties are mutually giving, receiving, and supporting one another.
You should expect to be conversed WITH, not at. Your therapist will not simply tell you what to do or how to solve your problems; however she WILL help you to identify and become better aware of the correlation of your emotions, beliefs, and actions. She will help you to identify how these things may affect your day to day life and overall mental health. Your therapist will assist you in identifying faulty or problematic thinking patterns. Your therapist will provide new insight and new ways to look at the problems and stressors bringing you to therapy.
You should expect to not only learn about yourself, but also to grow during your therapeutic journey. When you take conscious and active steps to achieve your goals, you will in turn lead a more fulfilling and rewarding life. The therapeutic process can have its ups and downs – some sessions will be harder than others, depending on the content of each session. The therapeutic process should be active, engaging, and directly aligning with your therapeutic goals. Therapy most often ends after the client achieves his goals, however many clients keep in contact and schedule mental health “maintenance” sessions as life continues on. The therapeutic process can be anywhere from a few weeks to months long, depending on the client, his goals, frequency of treatment, etc.
Conclusion
Of course, all of this information is cursory and is not intended to be an “end all tell all” of what to expect in therapy. Every situation is unique, therefore every therapeutic journey will look a little different. Generally speaking, this is what the therapeutic process would look like for most individuals. If you have questions or would like further information, or would like to schedule a session, you can reach me at the contact information below. Thanks for reading.
Danielle Older, MSW, LISW, CCTP
Riverrootcounseling.com
Danielle@riverrootcounseling.com
330-595-4575