What to know about Starting Therapy
As a new year approaches, many are considering changes they would like to make to not only for their health but their mental health. If you’re scared about starting therapy and have never been, here are a few things to know.
Therapy is for you— most therapists (including me!) will provide you with a free consultation to start. This gives an opportunity to see if you feel like you and your therapist are a good fit. If you don’t like your therapist, you are more than welcome to change! Because therapy is about what’s the best fit for you (and not about us).
2. You can go at your pace—depending on your reasons for coming to therapy, you can attend weekly, bi-weekly or even monthly. If you are new to therapy, it is recommended to start weekly to build a good working relationship and develop goals with your therapist. If this isn’t your first time, and you want to go to help work on things here and there, you can work with your therapist on a frequency that is better fit for you.
3. Questions, questions— your therapist may have a lot of questions to start, but don’t worry—this isn’t us trying to overwhelm you. It’s merely our way of gathering information and getting a ‘whole picture’ so we can get to know you quicker and better help you in the long run. If you have questions for your therapist in return about the process of therapy, experience, background— you are also welcome to ask!
4. Commit to and trust the process— therapists don’t have magic wands, and we will not give you direct advice. Therapy is more effective when clients come to their own insights, and do the work to practice the tools learned in therapy. We are here to support you every step of the way, but you are the main driver when it comes to change (with some gentle nudging from us).
Therapy can be a wonderful experience. Many of my clients have left over time feeling confident that they can use tools on their own to manage their anxiety. My clients also improve their communication skills, which in turn helps their relationships with family or their partner. Sometimes, developing these tools and skills also helps them shed habits and relationships that are also not healthy for them, helping them feel much stronger and happier.
If you’re in Long Beach, or anywhere in California, and you’re interested in starting therapy, feel free to email me with your questions at christina@theconsciousmindcounseling.com. If you’d like to book a free consultation, you can go back to the home page and you will be directly linked to my schedule to book an appointment.
