5 Tenets of Therapy
1.It is important to find a psychologist that suits you. There are many approaches and styles to therapy. You need to feel comfortable with your psychologist. Without feeling secure and at ease in the therapy session it is hard to truly express yourself, explore new behaviors and perspectives. The therapeutic approach also needs to match your needs and personality in order for you to get the best out of your therapy sessions.
2. Therapy is an interactive collaboration. The stereotypical image of you laying on the couch, looking at the ceiling and talking while the psychologist is hahaamming you is pretty much extinct these days. In therapy you ask questions, think together, do experiments together and you are actively carrying out assignments at home. The more active and collaborative you will be, the better and sooner the results will be perceived and felt.
3. Therapy takes time. Therapy sessions should not be obstacles in your daily life but a integral part of it. Schedule your sessions when you have more time during the day to sit and relax during the session and when you have a free hour afterwards to allow yourself to think it all over and further. You should not be having a sense of urgency to be somewhere else or that you need to do something else at that hour. You need to be attentive and involved in your therapy session. Having an eye on the clock and one leg out of the door will not permit you to do that. Therapy needs its own space and time to be effective, so give yourself permission to have that window of self -care.
4. You should open up and let it all out. Your therapy sessions take place in a safe haven where you can be vulnerable, share your feelings and thoughts honestly and authentically without being afraid of being judged or rejected. Talking without censorship will facilitate your progress . Whatever you say is confidential and will remain within the four walls. Your psychologist is there to help you to analyze and challenge your thoughts, make behavioural adjustments and regulate your emotions better but in order to do that you need to share what is on your mind and how you truly feel with your psychologist.
The therapy sessions will also help you to practice and experiment your newly acquired skills within a safe environment. Thus it is a great opportunity to take an advantage of the session to better prepare yourself for future situations and as consequence it will boost your confidence.
5. Therapy requires outside input. You need more than 50 minutes a week to see results. Therapy is not magical pill that works after 50 minutes. You need to do the work and apply the strategies daily. That implies increasing your awareness, carrying out the experiments, challenging your thoughts and feelings, practicing the skills, adjusting or trying out new behaviors in different situations etc. It takes more than 50 minutes a week to do it. You need to repetitively practice, observe, conclude from the results and learn ,thus you need to be prepared to put some effort and energy in your therapy to get the results you want.
You can also use the specifically designed forms to observe and keep up with your progress, which will help you stay motivated 24/7 and/or write your thoughts so that you can discuss them lengthily during your next session with more accuracy. Doing the home assignments thus raises the efficiency and effectiveness of the therapy sessions. Therapy is thus a journey that takes time and effort but it can have amazing transformation effects on your life when you are fully committed to improving your quality of life and psychological well -being.
