What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is not easily described in general terms. It is a process of talking about events, issues, conflicts, and feelings in ways that help to lessen pain while freeing energy to live life. What is talked about varies depending on the personalities of the client and the psychologist, as well as the particular problems you are experiencing. There are many different methods that your counselor might use to deal with the problems that you hope to address. Counseling is not like a visit to a medical doctor. Instead, it calls for a very active effort on your part. In order for therapy to be most successful, you will have to work on things talked about both during your sessions and at home. 

The first few sessions will involve an evaluation of your needs. By the end of the evaluation, your counselor will be able to offer some ideas about what the work will include and a treatment plan to follow. You should evaluate this information along with your opinions about whether you feel comfortable working in that direction. Therapy involves a large commitment of time, energy, and money, so you should be careful about the therapist you select. If you have questions, please discuss them when they arise.

A common question concerns the length of psychotherapy – how long will  the process take, or how many sessions will we meet? That is a difficult  question to answer, because it depends on many factors. Some people  deal with specific problems that are of short duration and that resolve  in just a few sessions. Others deal with problems that have taken years,  or even an entire lifetime, to develop, and they are not usually going  to resolve quickly. As you start the psychotherapeutic process, plan to  discuss these issues with your counselor, so that you are both on the same therapeutic path.

Psychotherapy can have tremendous benefits, but there are also risks. Since therapy often involves discussing unpleasant aspects of your life, you might experience uncomfortable feelings like sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness, and helplessness. On the other hand, psychotherapy has also been shown to have many positive benefits. Therapy often leads to significant reductions in feelings of distress, new solutions to specific problems, and better relationships. However, there are no guarantees of what you will experience.