Starting therapy
Got an email today from a reader, who’s just getting ready to start therapy again to deal with an abusive childhood. He asked if I had any hints for a “newbie”. My advice was simple, nothing really that deep, just know going in that it’s a long process, the first session is much more about getting the therapist up to speed with where you are, where you’ve been and where you want to be, so don’t expect miracles. There are no miracles in this process, just work, but it’s well worth the effort to get to a point where it’s your life again.
Since I believe in the wisdom of crowds over my own individual wisdom, I’m asking for your advice? What would you say to someone as they were starting therapy?
Technorati tags: Therapy, Advice
actually we think its better to go in and ask the T questiosn about how they operate in their practice, our thinking is if their way of operating is so vastly different to how we would like to proceed in T then this person isnt the right one to be seeing.
I think that is a brave step and for that I’d appreciate that person. It will be a long and possibly painful road, but it is NO DOUBT better than the alternate route.
therapy, like any kind of healing, is a journey that can be painful but rewarding. For me the main thing has been finding someone I feel comfortable with. It’s okay to shop around for a therapist. In fact most therapists will give you an intial assesment session for free.
As scary as the first session is, it is a time for you to start to get to know your therapist. I tend to think of it as an interview for the therapist. Seeing if you will fit well with that person. It’s a major investment of time and money so having an idea of that person’s philosophy and personality will help you decide if he/she is the right person to help you through the journey.
I also believe that you should periodically re-evaluate if the therapist is the right one for you. People change and grow. And the right therapist for you at the beginning won’t necessarily be the right one for you in the middle or end stages of your treatment.