“Therapy is not about fixing you, it’s about finding you.”
Therapy is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their mental health, cope with life’s challenges, and foster personal growth. Therapy provides a safe environment to express and process emotions and helps manage mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. Moreover, it encourages self-discovery and personal development, offers strategies to cope with stress, improves communication and conflict resolution in relationships, helps heal past traumas, and supports you through life changes.
You might be nervous and anxious while taking the first steps towards a better you and starting therapy. You might be asking yourself if you are ready and how to prepare yourself. Fear not, we’re here to help you prepare for your first appointment, tell you what questions to ask, and answer more of your burning questions.
Your First Session
Your first therapy session is when you should discuss the parameters of patient confidentiality, techniques to be used, and the duration of your therapy. During the first appointment, you and your therapist can get to know one another and decide how to move forward. To figure out whether your therapist is a good fit for you, don’t be hesitant to ask them questions in return. It might be emotionally exhausting even if you don’t think it would be.
Your therapist will likely ask a variety of questions to get to know you better and understand your reasons for seeking therapy. These might include how you’ve been feeling lately, issues or events that prompted you to seek therapy, and questions about your background. They may inquire about any previous therapy experiences, and how you typically cope with stress or difficult situations. Additionally, they might want to know what you hope to achieve through therapy, any specific goals or changes you want to work on, and details about your physical health.
This might seem a lot but one of the best things you can do for yourself while in therapy is to be open-minded, honest, and candid with your therapist.
Your Expectations from Your Therapist
If you’ve never been to therapy before, it’s helpful to have some expectations to guide your experience. It might seem scary or overwhelming to open up to someone but you’re just setting the roadmap to a hopefully healthier version of yourself because therapy is a space for you to explore, grow, and find support. It might feel a bit weird at first, but give it time. You’re investing in yourself, and that’s always a good thing.
Here are some expectations you should have for your therapist:
Confidentiality
What you share in therapy stays in therapy unless of course you’re a danger to yourself or others but that is an extreme scenario. But, confidentiality guarantees a zone where you can be honest without worrying about it getting back to anyone else.
Professionalism
Your therapist is expected to maintain a certain level of professionalism, so expect a judgment-free zone. Therapists are trained to listen without judging, you can talk about anything and they’ll be there to help you.
Support
You’ll discover that therapists make fantastic sounding boards and guides, despite what you may believe, the role of a therapist is not to provide solutions to all your life’s problems. They will concentrate on assisting you in shifting your attention to what truly matters, which is you, and provide guidance, support, and strategies to help you navigate the challenges in life.
Boundaries
They should maintain clear professional boundaries, although they are there to help and guide you, your therapist is not your friend. They should keep the relationship focused on your therapeutic needs and avoid any emotional entanglement that can cause conflicts of interest.
Who to choose for your Journey
Counselling Psychologists
A counselling psychologist helps people handle mental and emotional challenges, improving their well-being and resolving crises. Using different therapy techniques, they help clients understand and deal with issues like stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, and life changes. Their goal? To support personal growth, better relationships, and a more satisfying life.
Clinical Psychologists
A clinical psychologist is a professional at figuring out and treating mental health disorders and emotional issues. They use different therapy techniques to help people tackle and beat mental health challenges. Trained in assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments, they do it all—from one-on-one therapy and group sessions to crisis intervention and psychological testing.
Health Psychologists
A health psychologist studies how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours affect our health. They help people manage stress, adopt healthier lifestyles, and cope with illness. Think of them as experts who connect the dots between your mind and body, helping you live a healthier, happier life.
Community Psychologists
A community psychologist works to boost mental health and well-being in communities. They tackle social change, and community development, and make mental health resources easy to access. They’re the advocates who help build stronger, healthier communities.
Sports Psychologists
A sports psychologist helps athletes improve their performance and cope with the mental pressures of sports. Their expertise primarily covers clinical issues like depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse, among other areas. They’re like mental coaches who help athletes stay at the top of their game.
Educational and Developmental Psychologists
Educational and developmental psychologists focus on kids, teens, and adults with learning challenges, developmental issues, and emotional problems. Think of them as guides who support growth and learning at every stage of life.
How Long Should You Be In Therapy For?
Remember that treatment often requires several sessions, it’s not a miracle worker so don’t anticipate immediate solutions. How long your therapy should last depends on what type of therapy you’re seeking, your issues, and what you prefer. There’s no set time, it varies from person to person. Therapy isn’t about a quick fix; it’s about giving you long-term solutions for life.
Written by Nikhat Ali
Reviewed by Randhir Yadav (Counselling Psychologist)
