How Do I Make The Most Out of Therapy?

Work is a part of life that practically every adult has to commit a significant portion of their week to.

In an ideal scenario, working-class individuals would tend to their careers in a healthy environment, which would include a clear balance between work life and personal life.

Unfortunately, that is not always the case, and the workplace is one that puts many individuals into stressful situations.

Stress is a normal part of working life, and because of this, many workers struggle to cope with the stresses placed upon them in their day-to-day.

If you work in a stressful environment, you may benefit from learning about healthy coping mechanisms for managing life in the workplace.

Schedule Your Sessions For The Right Time

Ideally, therapy sessions are best suited for times when you’re not scrambling to get things done.

If you’re attending therapy in the middle of the workday and you’re already highly distracted, you’re likely to have a difficult time keeping your focus on your session.

Try to schedule therapy sessions at a time when you don’t have anything important to do right before or right after your meeting.

This will give you time to take a deep breath, focus, and get the most out of therapy.

Don’t Be Afraid To Share

It’s easy to feel intimidated or be afraid that your therapist may judge you for talking about what’s on your mind.

Your therapist is a professional with hundreds of clinical hours in their past, and the work that they do relies strongly on having a lack of personal judgment.

Licensed therapists have come across so many different individuals and problems they face, so the issue you feel like discussing has likely been brought to the therapist many times before.

Speak openly during therapy sessions, and do your best to push past your fear of judgment.

Work On Yourself Outside of Therapy

When trying to come up with how to get the most out of therapy, many individuals make the mistake of viewing therapy as a single time-slot in their week.

It’s just as important to assess your thoughts and feelings outside of therapy.

Try picking up on habits that concern you, stress triggers, and random thoughts that come into your mind.

Be mindful of the way you feel throughout the rest of the week, and if you think about something that you’d like to discuss when you’re out of therapy, make a note of it.

Keep A Journal

Many licensed therapists will recommend journaling as a way to be in touch with your thoughts, emotions, and actions throughout your week.

Journaling is a great way to track the goings-on in your life, and it can allow you to organize your thoughts between therapy sessions.

Be Yourself

To get the most out of therapy, it’s important to be your authentic self during your sessions.

It’s normal to try being on your best behavior when you speak to a professional, especially for the first time, but it may not be a benefit when it comes to therapy.

During your sessions, do your best to avoid hiding the real you.

Allow your genuine emotions to be present, offer your honest opinions, and say what’s truly on your mind instead of worrying about how you’re going to be perceived.

Be Aware Who You Tell About Therapy

This step is not to suggest that there is any shame in seeing a therapist, but having boundaries between those around you and the details of your sessions is a good idea.

While there is nothing at all wrong with seeking therapy, what you discuss should be between yourself and your therapist for the most part.

Often, when an individual shares significantly about their therapy sessions, the people receiving this information will take it as an invitation to offer advice and commentary.

Unless these individuals are also licensed therapists, their advice may not be helpful.

It’s best to keep the majority of your session content private, only sharing key pieces of information with individuals that you truly trust.

Set Your Expectations

While therapy is meant to help individuals improve their thought process and the behaviors they struggle with, it doesn’t happen in a day.

Do not expect to have the issues that you face resolved in a single session.

There is a good reason why therapy is a long-term process, and it’s impossible to “fix” everything without investing time and effort.

Remember that therapy is about small steps, getting to know oneself, and developing behaviors based on the work that has been put in by the collaboration efforts of yourself and your therapist.

If you’d like to seek support for your mental health needs, you’re welcome to contact our offices as soon as you’re ready. We’ve helped many people struggling with workplace stress, and we would be honored to help you, too. 

Please feel free to book a complimentary 20-minute consultation with one of our licensed therapists if you know who you would like to work with, or you can book a consult call with our center’s clinical intake coordinator who will match you to the best-fitting therapist for your clinical and logistical needs.

Medical Disclaimer