About Therapy: The Course of Therapy

The information below is for informational purposes only, and it does not substitute for obtaining professional services.

Active  treatment may start as early as the first session, although it usually  starts after the evaluation. Treatment sessions often take the following  form. I ask you how you have been doing since the last time, and I ask  what goals you wish to work on. You might choose to focus on a recent or  past event that is linked to your difficulties. I may then ask  questions about what happened and what you thought and felt, and I may  offer my feedback. This may involve focusing on key thoughts or  feelings, challenging your way of thinking, coming up with new skills to  try out in real life, or understanding and changing relationship  patterns. Not all sessions will follow the same format, as it will  depend on your current needs. You may stick to your original goals, you  may change your goals, or new goals may emerge. We will review the  treatment goals periodically to make sure that we are on the same page.

Treatment  may last a few sessions for mild problems, a few months for moderate  problems, or a couple of years for more serious problems. Long-lasting  changes to personality or serious relationship problems may require more  than a year of treatment. Chronic mental illness may require longer  treatment; in many such cases, clients are often able to eventually  reduce the frequency of sessions.

An  important part of treatment is ending. When to end treatment is almost  always the client's decision. I may bring up the question of whether  ending has been on your mind or whether it may be time to end. Preparing  for ending may involve reviewing what treatment goals were accomplished  and what goals may remain. It may involve learning how to prevent old  problems from happening again in the future, and it may involve focusing  on positive personal growth. It is important to prepare for ending, so  that it is a positive experience for you.