If You've Been To Therapy And It Didn't Work, Read This
If you’ve been to therapy before and it didn’t “work,” you need to read this.
That’s usually the first question I ask clients. A lot of people tell me they have but that it really didn’t work.
I know there are ineffective therapists out there – but let’s save that for another post.
I want you to ask yourself: Did the therapy not work or did I not DO the work?
Therapy is hard work. You have to practice what you learn outside of that 50 minutes a week.
Only going to therapy and still expecting results is like,
going to the doctor and getting medicine, but not filling the prescription.
going to the gym and just sitting on your phone.
going to class but not doing your homework.
Here are a few things you can do to get more bang for your buck while in therapy:
Ask your clinician for assignments.
Take notes on your mood and any important topics you’d like to discuss throughout the week.
Practice things you’ve talked about in session (setting boundaries or having difficult conversations. Bonus points if you talk about how it went in session).
Ask the therapist if there’s anything you can do in between sessions that will help with your current situation.
Practice kindness and self compassion when healing feels slow or non-existent.
Show up on time to regular sessions.
Talk about what you really need to be talking about in session.
Be honest about how you’ve been feeling and if treatment has been helpful. Don’t be afraid to speak up!