What is a therapy session?
Therapy is the common name for mental health counseling or psychotherapy. There are many types of therapy, but in general it is the process of meeting with a mental health professional to resolve problematic issues that are affecting mental health, relationships, work, and feelings.
People enter therapy for many reasons. Most are striving to overcome issues that keep them from becoming the healthiest version of themselves. Although sometimes there is a stigma attached to seeking therapy, patients should be encouraged to seek the type of therapy that is the best fit. Mental health treatment is just as important as any type of physical treatment for whole-body wellness.
What happens when you visit a therapist?
Visiting a therapist is similar to any other medical appointment. When you arrive, you’ll check in with reception before sitting in the waiting room. You’ll fill out paperwork including your medical history, HIPAA forms, and symptom checklists, and must provide your insurance information.
You’ll be called back to a private room for your therapy session, where you will sit comfortably and discuss issues with your therapist. Your therapist will listen, may take notes, and may give you advice. If your therapist believes more sessions are needed, you will schedule appointments for the future.
What does a therapist do on the first visit?
Every therapist has their own way of conducting the first visit. Many therapists use the first visit to get to know their patients and engage in small talk or ask personal questions to understand you better.
They may ask if you’ve attended therapy before, if any members of your family have mental health problems, and want to know what symptoms you’re experiencing. Therapists also want to know about your mental health history and what you want to accomplish through therapy.
What is a therapist?
Therapists are licensed mental health professionals who have undergone extensive education and training to be able to help clients reduce their symptoms of mental illnesses. Psychotherapists, psychologists, counselors – these are all types of therapists.
Therapists are known for being unbiased, supportive, authentic, empathetic, and for being skilled listeners. A psychotherapist is trained in various therapeutic approaches and will choose one that best fits the client’s needs and condition.
Therapists diagnose clinical mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, eating disorders, and many others. They also help cope with situations like life changes, grief, abuse, and family crises. A therapist may be a component of a larger treatment program that could include group therapy, inpatient or outpatient treatments, or medications.
What do therapy sessions do?
During a first therapy session, you will spend time getting to know your therapist, and establishing a level of comfort. You won’t be leaping into any major discussions about your feelings, deep secrets, or trauma right at the beginning. It is also important to know that all discussions in your therapy sessions are confidential. Over time, your therapist will ask questions to explore your feelings, and encourage you to establish goals for your therapy sessions.
Your personal goals will help establish the topics you cover during each therapy session. Exploring feelings is part of this process, but so is talking about events of the week, relationships, and progress. Each person’s therapy sessions will be different, and goals will be evaluated periodically, then new goals set.
What should you tell a therapist on your first visit?
You don’t have to share extremely private details during your first visit. In the first visit, you should tell your therapist what symptoms or events brought you in, if you feel like anything is wrong in your life, and if you’ve attended therapy in the past. You can also talk about what you hope to get out of therapy and what you’d like to focus on during your therapy session.
How long do therapy sessions last usually?
Therapy sessions usually last 45 to 50 minutes. Sessions are slightly shorter than an hour to benefit the patient and therapist. The length allows patients to fit a session in during their lunch hour. It also gives therapists time in between back-to-back appointments to write notes or review a case to prepare for their next client.
What are goals for therapy?
Goal setting is important for therapy so that both the therapist and the client understand what they are working towards, so that progress can be measured. Without goals, it would be difficult for a client to know when therapy is effective. There are some broad categories of goals that most clients are able to adapt to their particular situation, such as:
- What behavioral changes would I like to make?
- Do I need to improve my ability to establish or maintain relationships?
- Do I need help coping with a particular situation?
- Do I need help making decisions for my future?
- Do I need to develop interpersonal skills?
Notice that all of these questions focus on “I” – leading the client to self-examine and find the desirable outcomes they wish to get out of their therapy sessions.
How long are therapy sessions, usually?
Most therapy sessions are between 50 and 55 minutes long. Therapists typically take a few minutes at the end of each session to refresh before seeing the next client, so the time is typically less than an hour to allow for this. This time frame is often referred to as the “therapeutic hour” by professionals.
To some clients this seems like a lot of time, and to others not enough. The therapist will guide the discussion length and begin to wrap it up towards the end of the session, keeping your goals for therapy in mind.
This less-than-an-hour format also helps clients who wish to see their therapist over a lunch break, or in between activities. It is also partially determined by some insurance companies. A session that is paid by insurance is typically considered to be less than 52 minutes.
What does a therapist do for you?
A therapist listens to you and acknowledges your feelings. They can help you work through traumatic events, negative thought patterns, and harmful behaviors. Your therapist helps you learn practical strategies to cope with stresses in your life, teaches you to break your bad mental habits, as well as encourages you to take action and help you set realistic life goals.
How do I prepare for a therapist visit?
You’ll want to prepare for your visit by writing down how you’re feeling now and how you hope therapy will help you feel. Ask yourself what keeps you from feeling the way you want or achieving your goals, and write down your answers. Write down any major symptoms you’re experiencing or stressful events happening in your life, as well as questions you want to ask your therapist. You can also research the cost of therapy visits to know how much you’ll be charged.
How often are therapy sessions held?
The most common frequency to attend therapy is once weekly. Many clients may be tempted to think that if they attend more often, then they can resolve their problems more quickly. This isn’t usually the case. The mind needs time to process the feelings that arise in therapy, and to meet the goals established.
If weekly is not possible, most therapists would not recommend visits less than every two weeks. Regular and consistent visits are important to optimize progress and provide the right amount of support.
How do you process a therapy session?
What does processing a therapy issue mean? Processing a group of feelings or experiences in a therapy session means to work towards understanding it, and how it fits into your life. By processing feelings, including how they have affected your life story, you can stop becoming overwhelmed by them. This takes time and a conscious effort.
Therapists may help you process issues by analyzing them, asking you deeper questions, and encouraging bringing emotions to light. The result of processing feelings, traumatic events, and old emotions leads the client to reframe those issues and understand how they have affected his/her life in the past.
What do you do after a therapy session?
After a therapy session, you may be left feeling overwhelmed, confused, emotional, sad, or happy. It is important to continue to explore those feelings on your own after the session. Therapists can teach coping methods for after therapy sessions, but here are some recommended activities for patients:
- Write in a journal
- Meditate
- Yoga
- Go for a walk
- Listen to music
- Take a bath
- Read a book
However you decide to spend your time after therapy, it is important to find ways to decompress, continue to think about your session, and give yourself space as you begin to process those feelings.
