Blogs
What to Expect in Therapy
Heather Rafanello, MSW, LCSW @GrowingMindsetTherapy
Therapy can be a lot of things, and therapists are known to wear many different hats. Here are a few things that you can and should expect from therapy:
It’s hard work.
The therapeutic process allows for goals to be established by the client and therapist as a team, rather than dictated by the treatment provider. Our team isn’t here to diagnose a problem and throw together a plan, instead we see our clients as experts on themselves. We seek your ‘expert’ advice and collaborate with you to create goals that feel manageable, beneficial, rewarding, and will challenge you to grow.
Therapy can ruffle your feathers. You’ve been using your preferred coping strategies for some time but now it’s to change, and that can be hard. As our therapist Alex Bykowski says, “Nothing changes, if nothing changes.” Our Growing Mindset Therapy Welcome Packet even states “In working to achieve therapeutic benefits, clients must take action to achieve desired results. Although change is inevitable, it can be uncomfortable at times. Resolving unpleasant events and making changes in relationship patterns may arouse unexpected emotional reactions. Seeking to resolve problems can similarly lead to discomfort as well as relational changes that may not be originally intended. We will work collaboratively toward a desirable outcome.”
It might not work, and that’s okay.
The hard truth is that it will likely take time to reach your goals, and on occasion there are even times where clients might not fully reach their goals. While we cannot guarantee the ultimate outcome of therapy, we can confidently say that you will get out of therapy what you put into it. It’s also important to keep in mind that there are many therapists out there, with a wide range of background experiences, treatment modalities, and certifications. Some clients prefer a direct approach, tough love if you will. Others want to take a more creative path, incorporating music, art, or dance. Perhaps you want to consider a holistic healing path to connect the Mind Body & Soul. If one type of therapy doesn’t resonate with you, or you don’t feel connected to your therapist, that’s okay. There are plenty of other therapist fish in the sea.
The good stuff. Healing.
Depending on your reasons for starting therapy, you might be learning a lot about yourself, and working to heal that relationship first and foremost. When you start healing, you might see changes in some of your relationships that you didn’t anticipate. In some cases this can mean feeling much more fulfilled and satisfied by your relationships, while in other cases this might mean ruptures or relationships ending. Therapy can reduce distress, and increase your ability to cope with problems related to work, family, relationships, self-esteem, life-transitions, and more by teaching you a variety of tools. These are dynamic tools that you can add to your toolkit to help you in a variety of ways, including practicing self-care, establishing and maintaining boundaries, effectively communicating, while also providing you with grounding exercises, coping skills, cognitive reframing strategies, and so much more. Working with a therapist will allow you to deepen your understanding of yourself, what you value, how you connect, what you need, and what you want out of life, which can lead to greater happiness.
For it to end. Yep, that’s right.
As you progress and get closer to completing goals, your therapist will likely begin to discuss a transition plan for graduation or termination. Most relationships in life come to an end, some naturally, others abruptly, and some slowly fade away. Of course every person has different needs, and some people may want and need long term treatment. However, at the outpatient level, therapy for many may range from a temporary form of support, to an ebb and flow relationship. Right in the Growing Mindset Therapy Welcome Packet, our clients will find a statement about their right to terminate services. It might sound silly to discuss the end of treatment before we even get started, but this is our way of breaking down the awkwardness, and modeling intentional communication, and conscious relationships. There are many reasons that client’s want or need to terminate therapy. Other times, the therapist might find that it’s appropriate to terminate, and when the stars align it can be a mutual decision. What this means is that our team respects (and expects) that our relationship will ultimately come to an end, and when that time comes, we wish you well, and let you know that our virtual door is always open.
Curious what sessions look like?
At Growing Mindset Therapy, our sessions are typically 45 minutes, and are scheduled on a weekly or biweekly basis, depending on your availability, and your therapist's clinical recommendation. Your therapist might recommend meeting more or less often depending upon the nature of the presenting challenges. It is difficult to initially predict how many sessions will be needed, but we will collaboratively discuss from session to session what the next steps are and how often therapy sessions will occur.
Therapy is not one size fits all. There’s a lot of content in this article that may or may not resonate with you, and that is not only ‘okay’ but to be expected. Your individual progress should be assessed on a regular basis, and know that as a client you are always available to ask for feedback. Our team at Growing Mindset Therapy would love to hear your feedback, unfortunately one of our flaws is that we can’t read minds, so if we’re trying something that you’re not ready for, or if you’re feeling we need to change up our strategy please, please let us know! Our goals are for you to meet yours, we’re here to help and support YOU! There can be no guarantees made regarding the ultimate outcome of therapy, but we are certainly here to do our best to support you. Keep Growing.
DISCLAIMER: This article is not intended to treat, or diagnose and medical conditions, nor is it a replacement for mental health or medical treatment. If you or someone you know is in need of clinical support, our team is able to provide therapy services to those in NJ and FL. Contact us to learn more. If you or someone you know is in need of immediate support please contact emergency services. U.S. Mental health crisis line: dial 988 ; medical emergency dial 911