Growing up we hear a lot of things about therapy. Some of them might be true, but the majority of them are myths.
Therapists cannot read your mind.
Nor do they give you medicines.
They don’t tell your secrets to your family (yes confidentiality is a serious business).
And therapy is also not just you talking. It’s more than that.Whether you’re starting therapy or not, it is important to understand what it really is. Having the right information helps you form your own beliefs about its effectiveness.
If you’re contemplating taking therapy, here are 5 things you must know before you begin:
1. Therapist will not tell you what to do
It is a common belief we all have when going to therapy for the first time. We tell our counsellor or therapist everything- the way we feel, problems we face, issues we need help understanding- and yet, the therapist does not tell you what to do about it.
The thing is, it is not the therapist’s job to tell you how to lead your life. A therapist’s role in a session is to guide you, and identify your resources to deal with your problems. They enable you to become yourself.
2. The effect of therapy takes time to show
Because we are so accustomed to the statements like “Once you start taking therapy, everything will be better”, we start taking it literally.
While therapy does make us feel better, relieves us of our worries and stresses, the effect of therapy does not begin to show immediately. It takes time to form a rapport with your counsellor, to accept a lot of things, and to bring changes in your thoughts, behaviours and actions. Therapy is a process, it takes time.
3. Therapy is not easy
…and it surely isn’t like a ride in the park. In order to become a healed person, a better version of yourself or to simply start accepting yourself as you are, you need to go through painful moments as well. While there would be lots of recollection of happy moments from your experiences, there will also be times when you would have to talk about topics that are difficult to talk about.
They way you share the good sides about yourself- those parts that you absolutely adore- in the same way, you will also have to talk about the moments that are embarrassing to you, or difficult to talk about. But rest assured, all of these happen so that you can accept yourself as you are, including the good sides and the bad.
4. There are plenty of therapists in the sea
If you are not comfortable sharing your thoughts or feelings with your therapist, you can always look for another one, until you find your perfect match.
There are a lot of things to consider when choosing your therapist. If you’re not in a position to make that assessment initially, you are free to find the right match on a trial-and-error basis. It is your time, it’s your choice. When therapy is not working for you, you have the option to leave (and do so without feeling guilty).
5. You direct your sessions
The best part about therapy is you decide the direction it will go in. You can plan your sessions ahead of time to get the most out of it. Talk it out with your therapist, and chart a way with which you can plan your sessions in advance.
Instead of going with the flow, you can pick certain topics- for example, your confidence level around people- for discussion. When you plan your sessions, you will feel more satisfied at the end of it.
To conclude
Therapy doesn’t have to be entirely a serious matter, you can have fun with it too. There are multiple kinds of therapies available today and you can pick any of your choices. Just make sure, at the end of it, you are happy.
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