How to Get the Most Out of Therapy

When we’re on a long-anticipated vacation or even when we’re eating the last bite of a delicious meal, we want to savor every last bit. When we enjoy something so much, we tend to squeeze as much as we can out of it because we want every moment and every flavor to linger a little bit longer. When we indulge ourselves we like to find ways to reap all the benefits. We can think of therapy like this, too.

Going to therapy is one thing, but being in therapy is another. See last week’s blog on this key difference. If we immerse ourselves, rather than just show up, we’re going to get more out of it. Not only does that mean hitting “Join Meeting” on your weekly Zoom link, but it also means giving thought to what it is you want to do when you do join. We don’t mean for you to plan out your sessions to a tee, but giving it some thought for a few minutes before can help you stay on the track you want to be on.

Another something to take note of is when therapy gets hard. When you’re being challenged to reflect on yourself or your relationships, we know this can be really difficult. Therapy isn’t a walk in the park and when the session seems heavy, this is a time we notice some clients may cancel or stop coming all together. We are completely aware that this process is tough and when your therapy takes a turn, understand that this usually is a pivotal moment. Rather than letting the discomfort drive you away, take it as a sign that you’re beginning to welcome change into your life. It’s also good to talk to your therapist about this.

Similar to the discomfort of certain topics, sometimes those feelings we shy away from or completely block out become barriers to getting more out of therapy. If we’re used to hiding our feelings outside of therapy, then this may be what we do while sitting in a session. Thankfully, we like to describe therapy as a place to practice. If you allow yourself to get vulnerable with your therapist then you can later work up to becoming vulnerable with people in your life.

When you elect to start therapy, you’re giving yourself an opportunity for a lot of great things. Following these few tips can help you harness that opportunity and mold it into something really special – the lick your plate clean/add another day to your trip- kind of special!

Stay Well,
Catherine at Revive