What Happens in Therapy?
Posted: May 3, 2024
By: Natasha Cooke, MS, LPC Associate
Supervised by Melissa Barton, MA, LPC-S
Treatment Plan/Goals in Therapy
Commonly, during the intake session, your therapist will ask what you hope to gain from counseling. Then, you two will collaboratively come up with goals that the therapist embeds into a treatment plan tailored to you. If you have no clear goals for therapy and simply want a safe space to discuss what’s on your mind, that’s perfectly fine, too (depending on the therapist). I recommend letting your therapist know whether you have goals for therapy, purely want a place to process your stressors or want a bit of both. Some examples of goals for therapy are increasing confidence or self-esteem, improving relationships, learning coping skills, gaining insight about yourself, or processing trauma. Also, know that at any time, you should be able to change or add goals.
Telling Your Story/Getting to Know Each Other
After the initial session, your therapist will get to work getting to know you. The next few sessions are also the time you will discover your counselor’s therapy style (such as if they use homework, use psychoeducation, or help you gain insight into your life and behavior patterns). You’ll likely spend several sessions recounting the details of the problems you’re facing and “getting your therapist up to speed.”
What Happens in Therapy?
Therapy is all just talking, right? Not exactly. Although mental health therapy is on the rise, many people are still unsure as to what counseling truly is. So, what happens in therapy? Below is an outline of the general nature of the therapy/counseling process.Intake/Initial Therapy Session
If I’m being honest, the first session is possibly the most nerve-wracking session you’ll have. This session is called the intake or initial session. It’s different than other therapy appointments in a few ways. First, it may cost a bit more than other sessions. Second, there are many questions the therapist will ask you. For example, they may ask general questions such as how you spend your time, what you do for work, your relationships, and most importantly, they’ll want to know what’s bringing you into therapy. Although it’s easy to become overwhelmed, understand that subsequent sessions will be more “go with the flow” and usually have less direct questions. Moreover, during the first session, your counselor is simply gathering information to better understand you and your unique situation.Treatment Plan/Goals in Therapy
Commonly, during the intake session, your therapist will ask what you hope to gain from counseling. Then, you two will collaboratively come up with goals that the therapist embeds into a treatment plan tailored to you. If you have no clear goals for therapy and simply want a safe space to discuss what’s on your mind, that’s perfectly fine, too (depending on the therapist). I recommend letting your therapist know whether you have goals for therapy, purely want a place to process your stressors or want a bit of both. Some examples of goals for therapy are increasing confidence or self-esteem, improving relationships, learning coping skills, gaining insight about yourself, or processing trauma. Also, know that at any time, you should be able to change or add goals.
Telling Your Story/Getting to Know Each Other
After the initial session, your therapist will get to work getting to know you. The next few sessions are also the time you will discover your counselor’s therapy style (such as if they use homework, use psychoeducation, or help you gain insight into your life and behavior patterns). You’ll likely spend several sessions recounting the details of the problems you’re facing and “getting your therapist up to speed.”
Doing the Work in Therapy
While it’s imperative that counseling provides you with a safe space to be yourself and process what’s on your mind, making progress also relies on what you do outside of sessions. For example, your therapist may ask you to try various coping skills until you find one best suited to you. Another example may be asking you to pay attention to your anxiety triggers. Moreover, making progress in your mental health is determined by your willingness and ability to apply what you learn in therapy outside of sessions.Ongoing Safe Space or Termination/As Needed Appointments
Once you’ve reached your goals in therapy, you and your therapist may decide to gradually reduce the frequency of your sessions. This may mean going from weekly appointments to biweekly or monthly appointments. After evaluating your progress, stability, and goals met, you might collaboratively decide on terminating or ending therapy. However, some people choose to go to counseling as a lifelong pursuit. You may fall somewhere in between and contact your therapist when you feel like you need a check-in, need a safe space again, or have new goals to work on. Remember, it’s always okay to reach out to your therapist again, even after you’ve agreed on termination.Begin Therapy in Katy, TX!
If you are looking to improve your mental health, one of the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide mental health counseling, as well as other mental health services. To begin counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:- Contact our office to set up an appointment or to learn more information
- Meet with one of our knowledgeable therapists
- Find ways to thrive through therapy today!