Tips For Getting The Most From Your First Therapy Session

Going to therapy can be one of the best things that you can do for your own empowerment and healing. Depression counseling may ease the heaviness of depression, and it can also help with many other areas of your life. Nevertheless, going to that first therapy session can be intimidating for many people. Follow these tips to best handle your first-ever counseling session.

Ask About Therapy Goals

Therapy goals simply state what you want to accomplish within your therapy sessions. They may be short-term or long-term goals. Some counselors will let you decide whether you want to have therapy goals. Not all counselors work with them, but having goals for your therapy can help you see concrete progress as you go.

Be Completely Open and Honest with your Therapist

Be willing to be bravely honest and share openly with your counselor. You are ultimately only doing yourself a disservice if you are not forthcoming and honest with your therapist. If you're not willing or able to do that, let your counselor know that information, too. Be real about where you're at in life right now. That's the best place to start if you are willing to work to get to where you want to be.

Express Your Doubts and Fears About Therapy

Your counselor is trained to handle a vast variety of situations and will be able to cope with what you say. Don't hesitate to express your own doubts and fears about therapy. Happily, a lot of the former stigma surrounding therapy is diminished in society these days, but it still exists. It's natural to have concerns, so it's a good idea to be up front about them at the start of your therapy.

Consider Making a List of What You Want to Discuss

Many people make a list of what they want to discuss in therapy each week. They make the list during the week of things that they encounter that they'd like to sort out in counseling sessions. This can be helpful if you are worried that you may not be able to remember everything you wanted to talk about with your counselor.

Finally, keep in mind that your therapist is there to help you. He or she is on your side and wants to be your ally in healing. Counseling can help with so many different facets of your life, and your therapist wants to hear what is on your mind and what you need from therapy sessions. When you put your all into your therapy sessions, you are likely to get a lot back, so try to go into your first therapy session with optimism and a willingness to be open. To learn more, contact a counseling center like Maricopa County Counseling Services.

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