How To Get the Most Out of Your Therapy Sessions

Please note, this blog is written, researched, and maintained by non-clinical staff. The contents of this blog should be taken as psychoeducation only and not as medical advice or a replacement for therapy. If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis that is not life threatening, please call 988.

Let's face it. Therapy can be expensive. With a good therapist, absolutely worth it. But expensive. I posted on pinterest, and made tik toks, and an Instagram series on getting the most out of your therapy sessions. And now, it's time to put it in Blog form.

1. Take Notes Throughout Your Week

   
   

   When things come up throughout the week that you might want to talk about, pull out the notes app on your phone, or a physical notebook and jot it down. This prevents the blank when your therapist asks you "so, what do you want to work on this week?"

   
   

2. Take Notes During Your Session

   If your therapist says something profound that you don't want to forget, you can totally take out the Notes app on your phone or that physical notebook and write it down. For people who might struggle with disassociation during sessions, this can help solidify the conversation.

3. Be Honest

   
   

   If something isn't working for you, tell your therapist. Therapists should be (and yes, I know there are a plethora of unsafe, unethical, unhinged therapists out there. Different blog for a different day), but your therapist should be a safe space for you to say "hey, this approach isn't working for me. Can we try something different?" And, as hard as it is, be honest with your therapist. About your traumas, what you text your ex, your struggles, mistakes, all of it.

   
   

4. Remember Your Goals

   If you do not know what to talk about in therapy, remember what brought you there in the first place. If you entered therapy for anxiety, for example, and you have a week where you don't know what to talk about, consider revisiting your anxiety. What's working, what's not, your ideal.

   
   

5. Stick with it Past the Intake*

   We tell clients that Intakes are the least helpful session. They are super necessary for your therapist to understand what is bringing you in to therapy and what has occurred in your life up until this point. They are very detailed, and rarely allow for therapy to begin. Don't take the intake as a blueprint for what is going to happen the rest of therapy, or how therapy is going to look with that particular therapist. Now, you might have noticed there's a *. The asterisk is - if you know that this therapist isn't going to be a good fit for you, don't feel like you have to return. I had an intake with a therapist once and it was abundantly clear to me from like, minute 15 that this woman was not a fit for me. I did not return and instead found a wonderful therapist that I did click with. Remember, it's also not unusual for connection to take a few sessions. So, the advice is: stick with therapy past the intake, but if you can tell that the therapist isn't going to work for you, don't be so legalistic that you feel like you cannot leave after the Intake.

Located in Pennsylvania? We can help! Our team of dedicated therapists understands how challenging therapy is. We are here to walk beside you every step of the way. We offer in-person sessions for kids, teens, adults, couples, and families in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and serve the state of Pennsylvania virtually. Contact us today to schedule your free consult! 724.201.9815.