You’ve been thinking about going to therapy and you finally found a therapist in Bel Air, MD! You are nervous because you’ve never done this before. You’re wondering what it will be like in a therapy session, how much will you have to share about your personal life, will your therapist judge you if you tell them things you’ve done in your past.

The therapy process can be scary. Yes, it can change your life for the better, but opening up to a complete stranger can be scary. Think about it, you are paying someone to listen to your problems, feelings, and experiences and this is a very vulnerable process. During consultation appointments and the first therapy sessions, I have heard many great questions from my clients over the years. Here are some of the common questions I’ve heard that may put your mind at ease when thinking about starting counseling in Bel Air, MD.

How Do I Know if I Need Therapy?

If you are unsure if therapy is right for you, try speaking with someone who has benefited from therapy or who is familiar with the therapy process (like a primary care doctor or case worker). They may be able to ease some of your anxiety about the process. You can also schedule a consultation with a therapist and ask them how they could help you with your specific issues. In a consultation, a therapist can let you know if they have experience working with an issue. If they don’t, they could even point you in the right direction.

Does a Therapist Tell Me What to Do?

No! It is not your therapist’s role to give you advice or tell you what to do. Our job is to listen and provide you with a safe space to share your feelings that may be difficult to explore with your loved ones. Friends and family can be a great support system, but sometimes their own good intentions for you can get in the way of you truly processing your feelings. Your therapist can read between the lines to challenge your thought processes and allow you to come to the conclusion on your own on how to best deal with your circumstances. They can also help you assess situations in your life to determine if you are seeing situations clearly or if past experiences are clouding your judgment.

How Long do I Need to be in Counseling?

It depends. There are some people who have already identified why they exhibit certain behaviors or have certain feelings. These individuals may only need therapy for 6 months to a year. There are also people who have experienced significant trauma or have engaged in unhealthy thought processes for decades. It’s important to remember, if you have been experiencing negative thinking patterns since you were a child, it may take years for you to learn better thought processes and learn to manage stress in a healthier way. Something to keep in mind, weekly therapy sessions allow you to build rapport with your therapist faster and can aid in you feeling better quicker than if you meet with your therapist biweekly or monthly.

How Will I Know When I am Ready to Stop Therapy?

This is a conversation that every client should have with their therapist. The goal is not to eliminate all stress or anxiety from your life. That is not a realistic expectation. The goal is to learn how to manage stress to the best of your ability. One client may be able to set boundaries with her loved ones and this could greatly decrease her stress. Another client may find it more difficult to set boundaries because she is a caregiver with limited support. These two clients will have two different paths and the end result may be completely different.

 If you feel like you no longer need therapy, it is important to explore this with your therapist. They may agree with you, and you can start to focus on transitioning out of therapy. Your therapist could also bring some things up that you may want to work through before discharging. If a client shares with me that they think they’re ready to stop therapy, I also reflect on their original goals and explore how they feel they have progressed in each goal. If the client can explain how they have improved and is able to give examples of what they will do if this issue arises in the future, we know the client is ready to transition out of therapy.

How Do I Know if a Therapist is the Right Fit for Me?

Some clients have an instant connection with a therapist as soon as they speak with them. This is an amazing feeling and can aid in making the client feel comfortable opening up to the therapist. There are also people who have a harder time trusting others. This person may not feel the warm and fuzzies, but they may understand that this therapist has a lot of experience with the client’s issues. Continue to check in with yourself during the therapy process. Assess what you are getting out of therapy. If you can’t name anything, it may be time to have that conversation with your therapist. This can be an uncomfortable conversation, but it can result in your therapist adjusting their treatment to address your concerns or both of you coming to the conclusion that your therapist may not be the best fit. I recommend continuing therapy for at least a few months in order to accurately assess the situation. There may be an adjustment period in the beginning.

I hope this puts your mind at ease about the therapeutic process. If you are still feeling unsure about if therapy is right for you, you can call me at 301-467-4735 and I will be more than happy to answer any questions about your specific situation. If you’d like to learn more about how I can help you with relationship anxiety counseling in Bel Air, MD, schedule a FREE 15 min consultation.