How often should you see your therapist?
It varies from person-to-person. I saw my therapist once a week, and scheduled an extra appointment if I was in a crisis and I needed it. Some people do twice a week, some do once a month, etc... Here's the question: do you feel like you need to go more frequently? If you do, see if you can negotiate a financial compromise. Most therapists pick their own wages, and so they can adjust them if you are persistent enough. If you don't feel like you need it, don't do it.
How often should you see your therapist?
My initial response is as often as you feel you need to but often in therapy we will feel like we are doing ‘ok’ and don’t have any reason to keep going (like finishing the last 4 days of an antibiotics prescription). I have had many clients who came because they hadn’t cancelled in enough time, said they didn’t have anything to talk about and we ended up doing some really good work that week because there was no overt crisis to handle first. So I say to set up a schedule and stick with it. Usually at least once a week to start. Sometimes twice if you are in a real crisis situation. Most people will do fine with once a week. It will help you acclimate to sharing with someone, build trust with your therapist and determine what it going on in your life that you want to work on. It also helps to see progress or how you are implementing what is being talked about in session. Too far apart at first and it is easy to lose momentum and spend most of the session just ‘catching up’ with the events since last time. After things have settled down and you feel more stable, symptoms aren’t as prominent or intense you can reduce the frequency when you want to. I tend to move from weekly to biweekly to monthly and then to a PRN (as needed) schedule. But it all at your pace. Sometimes the step down goes a little faster than I would like therapeutically due to financial or insurance concerns (a self pay client cannot afford weekly sessions so can only come 2 x a month, insurance only covers 12 sessions so we space them out).
Should I see a therapist after a breakup?
My boyfriend and I are having some rough times. We have been through so much and this relationship took a toll on my self confidence and just feel so incapable of doing things for myself. I just wondered if seeing a therapist would be a good idea. Not only that, but a lot of my relationships with people have changed too and I just feel like talking about it without going to a friend.
My mom wants me to see a therapist?
Listen, if you read anybody's answer, read mine. There's a lot of conflicting opinions about therapy. I will tell you this. Therapy is what you make it. Honestly, therapy is the best thing for ANY disorders or life problems. Don't be nervous about it. A good therapist will take the lead and only direct the conversation as far as you are comfortable. I think you want help and you want to stop living in hell. This is a great way to do it. Don't be resentful of the therapist or your mother. Both of them want to help you. They may not understand you completely but it is all out of concern for your well being. There ARE ways to get over problems and it's really not as hard as people would like to think. It's okay if your eating problems aren't bad anymore, they can even be non-existant. Healing at any point in time is refreshing and life giving. Please give this a real chance, have some trust in the therapist, they aren't out to get you or send you to an institution. And believe me, they've probably heard it all, so try not to be nervous or shy. Take care of yourself, things DO get better, I've been there girlie. I'm praying for you
Going to see a therapist.. should I tell them I'm gay?
Considering your family history, there will probably be some issues with your future close relationships, so, yes, you will end up talking about it, and it will help him or her to know that you're gay, and it will eventually come up anyway. Don't stress about it, just let them know, when they bring up romantic relationships. Just think of it as a getting to know you talk, this first time. Also the coming out process is a nice thing to talk with a therapist about. You sound slightly anxious. I agree with above poster that your asking this question in the first place means you have some unnecessary reticence. Coming out is rougher for anxious people so it's definitely something to talk with them about. Any therapist worth their salt will have had some training in minority issues, so don't worry that they won't understand.
I am going to see a therapist. What should I expect?
The unexpected. Really. Expect anything. Expect to feel nothing, to have days of no progress. Expect days where you cry your soul out and make so much progress. Expect to get very uncomfortable. Expect lots of pain and weird feelings and realizations.I don’t know why you are seeing a therapist, so my responses are limited. I don’t know if you are going of your own volition or because you are being required to do so. However, the whole idea of going to see a therapist is to explore your life, to explore yourself and to confront difficult questions. Hope things go well for you.
Should i see a therapist or psychiatrist?
i too suffer from serious diagnosed depression. when i tried to commit suicide, and wound up in the hospitals a couple years ago, they suggested i see one of both. a therapist is someone who listens to you. like seriously - its the one you always see in the movies, when they lie on the long chase couch and talk while the other one writes? that's a therapist. but i chose to see a child therapist and at the time i was 17. so i went thinking it was gonna be like in the movies, but it wasn't that at all. she had finger paint and action figures and all kinds of stuff. my favorite was the GIANT sand box she had. i used to dig my hands deep into the sand, and it made me feel well at peace. it was so fun to talk to her because she really really did listen to what i had to say, and didn't really put her spin on things til i asked her opinion. and she always gave me the straight up truth. i also saw a psychiatrist. he was UBER boring. kinda like dr. phil - you know the way he talks? ugh. so lame. anyway - therapists are like your listeners. that's all they do. psychiatrists on the other hand, prescribe you medicine to treat your mental health issues. they're like doctors in psychiatric medicine. like - i'm currently on antidepressants and mood-stabilizers. they're really helping a lot. but when i don't think they are, he figures out why. changes the treatment, the medicine, the dosage, whatever. if you have a problem that you're not able to just solve with therapy, you should probably go see a psychiatrist, because it may not be something you can help. it could very well be a chemical imbalance in your brain. it happens to the best of us. trust me. see a therapist first. if spilling your heart out all over the place just isn't doing the trick, see a psychiatrist. really - don't think you're crazy just cuz you have to see someone to help you be happy. that's the way i felt for a while. you're not. you just need to coax your brain out of being in a state that you're not satisfied with.
My parents won't let me go to a therapist?
If you’re a teen, remember that the teen years are the absolute worst time of your life. I'm surprised any of us survive it. You are struggling with so much stress, pressures, changes... Your body and mind are trying to cope but ... it's hard. The brain is a very complicated and delicate thing. It can get messed up and be unable to produce any or enough serotonin. This is called a chemical imbalance which is easily treated, very common and nothing to be ashamed of. It can cause depression, anxiety, self harm, ADD, OCD, lack of self worth and other bad things. You don't need a therapist because they are not allowed to prescribe appropriate meds to help you get better. They just want to talk, talk, talk -- a waste of your time and money. Go to a regular doctor. If mum won't take you, maybe a grandparent will. Or your dad? With the right antidepressants, you will be much better, happier, calmer, confident, safer and feel normal. What a difference it makes! You won’t get well by yourself and, by ignoring it, it will only get worse. But counseling and meds can do only so much. God is the ONLY one who knows what you’re thinking, how you’ve struggled and what you’re going thru. He loves you passionately and wants to be your BFF. He has a super-deluxe custom-made plan for your life that’s beyond anything you ever dreamed of. BUT He waits for us to ask. Invite Him into your heart, ask Him to take over your life and your problems. Find a big, happy church and join some groups. God loves you more than you can possibly imagine :)