I’ve never been to therapy before. What’s it like?

Congratulations on taking a huge step of seeking out therapy for the first time! Lots of people are wondering this exact question as they start their journey. The thing is, there’s really no exact answer, because therapy is so individualized for each client. It will be directed by each client’s needs, wishes, goals, and preferences every step of the way. Generally, you can expect laid-back conversation, with you doing most of the talking, and your therapist asking guiding questions or making statements to reflect back what you’re saying when needed. For clients that would like this, therapy sessions can include practicing deep breathing exercises, mindfulness strategies, and even guided visualization exercises. The first few sessions will consist of a lot of information-gathering, meaning you can expect the therapist to ask more questions than usual, and you’ll talk about what brings you to therapy, your life story, important things you’re going through right now, significant experiences you’ve had in the past, your relationships…the things that make you you. You’ll spend some time in those first few sessions identifying some specific goals you’d like to work toward, and then the rest of therapy will be tailored towards those goals. But know that you will always be in the driver’s seat, you’ll have control over what you work on, as well as what you do—or don’t—talk about.

How long are therapy sessions?

Sessions are 50 minutes for individual sessions, and 60 minutes for couple’s sessions.

How often are sessions, and how long will therapy take?

Those are also two questions that have no exact answers! Session frequency is something that you’ll discuss with your therapist to find a rhythm that works well for you. Often, clients prefer weekly sessions, and this is usually a great frequency to start with, especially towards the beginning of the therapy journey when you’re getting started working towards your goals. That might decrease as time goes on and you get closer to reaching your goals, but this is something that you can discuss and decide on with your therapist. As far as how long therapy takes, that is completely dependent on lots of factors…the specific goals you want to address or issues that have brought you to therapy, your level of commitment to doing the work of therapy outside of sessions, and more. Some clients only need to attend therapy for three or four months, and others benefit from a year or more of regular therapy. This is something that will be an ongoing conversation between you and your therapist, so that you feel comfortable and informed as you go through the process.

Do you prescribe medication?

Great question. Licensed clinical mental health counselors cannot prescribe medication to clients or manage client’s prescribed medications. They can, however, collaborate with primary care or other physicians who can prescribe, and can also refer to other providers in the community, such as psychiatrists, who can also prescribe medication.

I was in therapy a while ago, but I think I need to go back again. Does that mean therapy didn’t work before, or that I’m doing something wrong?

Congratulations on your decision to return to therapy! The answer to this question is a quick and easy no! Mental health therapy works much like physical therapy. We go to physical therapy when our body needs it, whether it’s because of an injury, or surgery recovery, or other issue we’ve noticed in our daily routine that is preventing our body from functioning at its best. And we don’t consider physical therapy as having failed or “not worked” if we have to go through multiple rounds of physical therapy throughout life…it simply means our body is encountering new challenges as the years and life circumstances change. The same is true with our souls. We might attend therapy for a while, and stop when we’ve successfully met our goals and find that we’re feeling better. If a few years later we notice feelings of anxiety, depression, overwhelm, or other concerns creeping back up, we might need to do additional work in more therapy sessions to address the challenges we find ourselves facing. It doesn’t mean anything about your therapy work in the past!