Keys to Successful Therapy

As much potential as therapy has for every individual and couple, some people seem to have success with therapy while others don’t. Why is this? 

Some of this stems from what the individuals’ and couple’s expectations going into therapy, some from how much effort they gave in session and outside session, and some from whether or not there was a good personality fit between the client and therapist.

Here’s how to have a better therapy experience: 

An Evidenced-Based Approach

The American Psychological Association defines an evidence-based practitioner as someone who integrates their (1) clinical expertise with (2) available/relevant psychological science and (3a) the client’s values and (3b) cultural context to guide the intervention. This means your therapist should be using proven techniques in a way that jive with your values, preferences, and needs. A therapist should be able to meet you where you’re at while having ideas on how to help you move forward. 

A Solid Partnership

It’s important to shop around to find the right therapist for you. Ideally, you want someone who you feel comfortable opening up to and someone you trust to listen and offer guidance/ tools that work for you. Also knowing that your therapist is competent and has your best interests at heart helps a lot. 

An Appreciation for the Process of Change

We live in an instant gratification society. We want what we want and we want it NOW. In many instances, we can get what we want quickly. But this isn’t true for all issues that individuals or couples are dealing with. 

For therapy to be successful, you MUST be realistic about the process. It is not a linear or quick process. Therapy is an ART and a SCIENCE. This is particularly true if you are dealing with complex, long-term problems or cycles in relationships. This doesn’t mean you can expect to be in therapy for the rest of your life or even many, many years. It simply means you must appreciate the reality of what you can expect and how quickly things can change. I’ve seen things change immediately in couples intensive retreats or an ah-ha moment in individual therapy so it is possible and we need to be realistic too. 

If you are interested in exploring individual or couples therapy with me, please reach out and send an email to: [email protected]