THERAPY FAQS

What is therapy?

Simply put, therapy (or psychotherapy) is a collaborative, treatment approach with a trained professional addressing mental, emotional, behavioral, or interpersonal difficulties. The mechanism for change is behavioral in nature. This contrasts with medication treatments which address such problems at the biological level, when indicated. Medication treatment is under the care of a psychiatrist or prescribing physician instead of a licensed therapist.

How do I know if I need to see a therapist?

A good marker for when someone should seek therapy is 1) whether your problems are negatively impacting your health/activity level, relationships, career, emotional health or other areas of life; and 2) those problems have persisted many weeks, months, or years.

Why can’t I just talk to a friend?

Most people have already tried fixing their problems on their own before considering therapy. It is a good thing to start with self-management such as talking to a friend, loved one, mentor, or spiritual counselor, at least for mild or mild to moderate concerns. Many things in life may be therapeutic such as music, nature, going out with friends, vacations, etc. and are encouraged.

When problems persist or worsen despite self-management, the next step may be seeing a professional. A doctoral psychologist or master's level therapist may conduct an initial assessment to gather history and consider factors that may be contributing to your problems. Then, a therapy treatment plan is developed to help you address the problems you are facing. Treatments consist of one or a variety of well-studied intervention strategies.

Will therapy for work me?

People seek help for a wide variety of difficulties, ranging from emotional (depression, anxiety, anger, etc), mental, behavioral, relationship, or stage

of life problems. People also seek help at different points in their path for change. So, there is no global statement I can make about how long therapy takes for a positive outcome or if it works for you. I can tell you the process of therapy starts with an initial assessment and at least a tentative treatment plan on the first visit. I tend to tell my clients after three sessions, the treatment plan should be more precise, concrete, and collaboratively developed with the client to reach the most optimal outcome.

How long does therapy take to work?

The length of treatment is dependent on how many short or long-term goals a client has. People may only have a vague idea of what changes or goals they want from therapy, and that is fine too. The therapist can help clarify or develop realistic goals for therapy and outline steps to make healthy change. Some people may have one concrete therapy goal, but others may have multiple or complex goals. All those factors contribute to an estimated length of treatment.

Many therapy research trials hover between 10-16 sessions. That tends to be an anchor I discuss with clients and whether I reasonably think someone can reach their goals in a shorter, longer, or around that number of sessions. Keep in mind that those research protocols have stringent inclusion criteria to highly control for a specific mental health concern paired with a very specific intervention as the mechanism for change. Real world situations with real world clients can lead to significantly varied lengths of treatment. A highly informed client who has already developed a lot of coping skills with one specific therapy goal may have a completely different experience than a client who has trouble with chronic instability

and multi-faceted treatment needs.

I think it is reasonable to assess progress around 6 visit blocks at a time, which is my typical process. Certainly, treatment plans and progress can change with each visit, but significant markers of change often to not just typically in 1 visit increments. There are briefer solution focused therapies as well as longer-term therapies. Speak to your provider about the differences and be sure to have open conversations about these issues over the course of treatment.

Since therapy is so client specific, what can I do to optimize my experience or improve the odds of a positive outcome?

Therapy is collaborative, and the best outcomes tend to occur when the client is putting in their best effort, open to feedback, and expresses a good working relationship with their therapist. Research shows the most reliable factor for a positive treatment outcome is the relationship between the client and therapist, not only client factors alone or therapist factors alone. Do your best to find a therapist whose approach you understand and a therapist who you feel understands you.

I often compare the therapist-client relationship to a coach-athlete relationship. The client is ideally putting in their best effort and trying what they can, while the coach is there to provide instruction, feedback, support, insight, or even challenge the client at times. The client should not expect to be the expert, but therapy is also not a passive service like bringing your car to the shop and expecting a better product after paying a fee.

Anything else you can tell me? 

Therapy goals and plans can absolutely change based on new information and changes in life events. Although it is not always easy, I do encourage clients to provide as much background information on your situation and be upfront as able during each stage of the process. All that data helps tailor my impressions and recommendations, so we can be as collaborative as possible.

In turn, I am as upfront as possible about the potential benefits v. limitations/risks of therapy at the start of the process and over the course of your visits. It is both my job as well as my personal goal to discuss this information with you, so you can make an informed decision about what is best for you.