Ten Things Your Therapist Might Not Tell You About Going To Therapy
When you make that first appointment to see a therapist you will probably have a thousand questions running through your muddled head. While this post won’t answer all your questions it will tell you something you might not have thought about and also things your own therapist might not tell you…
Its Going To Be a Long Road Ahead
Its Going To Be a Long Road Ahead
If you think your therapist will be wham, bam and you are fixed you are in for a shock because there is a long road ahead on your path to mental health fitness and this is not your therapist dragging it out trying to make the most money from you, it is your therapist going at the speed you can handle and at a pace that doesn’t leave you feeling worse than before.
You Will Be Nervous Every Single Time
You Will Be Nervous Every Single Time
It’s OK to feel a little nervous on the first few times you go to therapy, but what your therapist won’t tell you is you will pretty much always feel that way. Sadly you never know how a therapy session is going to go until you are in it so your nerves will always be fearing the worse.
You’ll Feel Tired After Most Sessions
You’ll Feel Tired After Most Sessions
This is not just for those hard going sessions, it is most sessions because you would have been feeling pretty nervous and worn yourself out even before you have step foot into the therapy room. Even after the lightest of sessions, you will sleep like a baby most nighttimes after it.
There Might Be Homework
There Might Be Homework
While not all therapist do this most do and it can be something fun or something a little more serious. Whatever it is you probably won’t be expecting it so do put some time away after therapy to cover any out of session activities they might give you.
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Your Mouth Will Get Dry
Your Mouth Will Get Dry
This is something I wouln’d have asked about in a million years, but do bring your own water to your therapy session as you will get cotton mouth during most sessions because you will be doing a lot of talking and sometimes a lot of crying as well.
You Will Go Through a Range of Emotions
You Will Go Through a Range of Emotions
If you think it is going to be all sadness and darkness during a therapy session you are in for a shock because you will go through just about all the ranges of emotions if you go to therapy enough times. Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Remorse, Shame, Laughter and even some confused emotions thrown in for good measure.
Some Therapy Sessions Will Be Way Tougher Than You Think
Some Therapy Sessions Will Be Way Tougher Than You Think
While no therapist will go hard on your first few times, once they feel you are ready and grown in confidence about their own abilities they will take you down the darkest paths of your life. While this is a journey that is guided and done in the safest way possible it will result in a lot of tears and sadness and that is a good thing. For a therapist to work out the best way to go forward with your therapy session they always need to start at the start. Just be aware these will be the hardest sessions in your life, but also the most rewarding.
Confidence and Respect is a 2-Way Street
Confidence and Respect is a 2-Way Street
Here is something no therapist will tell you, you might not get on with them and won’t relax in their company! While most people will stay with the first therapist they find (I know I did) there are lots of therapists to choose from and if you don’t jell with your therapist almost immediately or feel you are getting any respect from them it probably means you are with the wrong therapist. The only bit of advice I can offer you here it to make sure they are skilled in your diagnosis before you even goto your first session.
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It Can Take Weeks or Months To Even Develop a Therapy Plan!
It Can Take Weeks or Months To Even Develop a Therapy Plan!
Sadly your therapist doesn’t know the best way forward with you until they know all the problems you are having and given that you only get 45 minutes in the average session it will take several of them in order to get to the bottom of things in order to work upwards.
45 Minutes Will Fly By
45 Minutes Will Fly By
Even if you are lucky enough to get a double session for 1hr 45 minutes you should be aware it will fly by and will never feel like enough time. The key here is to know things will take time and throwing everything at once to your therapist isn’t good for anyone let alone yourself.
And those are just a few things I wish I knew before starting therapy. If you have any more advice for people going to therapy for the first time do please leave a comment below and let us all learn from your knowledge.