What Therapy Can Help With—and What It Really Looks Like
What Even Is Therapy?
Therapy, counseling, psychotherapy, talk therapy, individual counseling, etc, etc. Each of these terms refers to a process with a trained and licensed person, often referred to as a counselor or therapist, to explore and understand feelings, gain insights, and enhance coping skills. This process should be done within a safe and supportive space and honored with confidentiality and ethical practices.
The therapeutic process can be beneficial for a wide scope of issues. Most often we think of seeking therapy to address debilitating anxiety or depression or to process through difficult traumatic events. However, therapy may also be helpful to manage life transitions, stress and overwhelm, family difficulties, social difficulties, and more. It doesn’t need to be the lowest point or the biggest crisis to engage in therapy. In fact, it's often more beneficial to engage in therapy prior to reaching those critical points when possible as you may be able to avoid the peak crisis all together.
I have to admit - it is HARD to ask for help, and often harder to ask for help with your mental health. Think of this: if you had strep throat would you wait until you couldn’t swallow, were sleeping for 15 hours a day due to fatigue, and had to take a week off of work? Maybe you would, but I would bet most of us would call our doctor or go to the urgent care at the beginning signs of the discomfort. Mental health treatment does have a much larger impact than a simple urgent care visit - but, I don’t think it should. Most of us could benefit from increased support - even though the process can be intimidating.
Common Reasons People Start Therapy
Anxiety, overwhelm, or constant overthinking
Stress and burnout
Grief and loss
Feeling stuck in patterns or relationships
Better managing emotions
Processing past trauma or childhood experiences
Improving relations with others and addressing people pleasing
Navigating life transitions or identity shifts
Wanting to build confidence, self-trust, or better boundaries
Struggling with intrusive thoughts, OCD, or perfectionism
General support
What Happens in Therapy (and What Doesn’t)
Let's bust some myths! Now, to be fair - I can not speak for all therapists, but I can speak to general practices and how I have done therapy.
Myth #1: Therapy is a quick fix.
Not usually! Therapy is a process - maybe a quicker process for some than others, but still a process. Most therapists follow evidenced-based treatments that build upon each other and follow a course. We also want to follow a pace that allows for emotional safety and follows your speed to what feels comfortable to share. However, you may be provided with skills that can be used in the moment and outside of sessions that can help ease symptoms earlier on in the process.
Myth #2: Therapy is just talking about your childhood.
Not always! While childhood events and dynamics can be helpful for a number of reasons, it is also important to focus on the here-and-now. Sometimes childhood is explored to make sense of behaviors now, sometimes it's used to make sense of the story, and sometimes it’s not discussed at all. This all depends on your therapist's approach and your preferences.
Myth #3: A therapist will just tell me what to do
Your therapist should take a collaborative approach with you that is tailored to your goals for therapy and that aligns with the agreed upon treatment plan. Remember that process we talked about? Your therapist takes the role of a guide to help navigate your journey. We may help you solve problems or offer different perspectives, but at the end of the hour - we hope to help you feel confident and empowered in your decisions.
Myth #4: I can just vent to a friend
Well yes, but chances are your friend is not trained in specific, researched, evidenced-based models to help you alleviate your symptoms. Therapy can be used to get things off your chest and have a neutral, outside person to talk to - however, your therapist is also trained to provide skills and guide you to insights that can lead to lasting change.
Myth #5: I have to go for an hour every week for a really long time.
You can talk to your therapist about a plan that will work best for you! Therapy can be provided at a variety of frequencies and lengths. This could look like going weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc. Maybe you talk for 60 minutes, 30 minutes or 4 hours. Treatment can last anywhere from a few days to a few years depending on the support you want and need. Your therapist should work with you to help you best reach your goals and have it be sustainable. Some therapists offer intensive session where you meet for multiple hours for up to a few days, other may choose to see you for an hour every few weeks. There are many possibilities. Keep in mind- sometimes your options are more limited if you choose to your insurance, but start the conversation to see what is even available.
What a Typical Session Might Look Like
Most times, your first session(s) in therapy looks different than subsequent sessions. This time is to really understand the therapy process and what is bringing you in. Prior to your first therapy session you will likely fill out forms and sign paperwork- it can be a tedious task, but we all appreciate it! This will be reviewed with you and you’ll be given time to ask any questions or seek any clarifications you might need. Next, your therapist is likely going to conduct a diagnostic evaluation or intake assessment. This allows the therapist to gather information about you, what you are seeking support for, symptoms, and to get a big picture idea of many different factors that can be influencing the problem. It helps us get to know you! If a diagnosis is needed or warranted the therapist will take some time to explore that with you. This part of the process may take more than one session, but by the end of it you and your therapist will discuss different treatment options, how often you want to come to therapy, and collaborate on treatment goals.
Subsequent sessions will look different depending on the type of therapy and goals that are being worked on. However, you should have a good idea of what to expect at the end of the evaluation, assessment, and treatment planning portion. You can also expect to regularly review progress towards your goals.
Remember, therapy doesn’t have to last forever. Once you and your therapist feel that you have been making progress towards your goals you may space sessions out further. If you feel that you have met your goals, you may start the treatment termination process. Now may be a good time to highlight that you also have the right to terminate your own treatment at any time in the process. You may do this for a various number of reasons, but as long as there are no extenuating mandates, you have the right to stop. I would encourage you to talk to your therapist about this as they may be able to help you. For example, if you don’t feel like you are getting the most out of your time together - the therapist can make adjustments and/or provide you with referrals to other professionals in the area that also meet your criteria.
How Therapy Can Actually Help
Healing can be a difficult journey -but it can also be empowering, validating, and clarifying. It is my hope that each person I work with leaves with those feelings and feels proud of the work that they have accomplished.
Some ways that we may do this may include working on:
Self-awareness: noticing patterns and naming what’s underneath them.
Emotional regulation: identifying and becoming connected with our emotions and learning tools to manage distress.
Boundaries and self-trust: getting clear on what you want and need.
Relationships: improving communication, decreasing people-pleasing, healing attachment wounds.
Long-term change: not just managing symptoms, but re-wiring the brain.
Is Therapy Right for You?
Therapy is right for everyone. If you are wondering if therapy could be helpful for you - I encourage you to browse professionals in the area and see what they specialize in. Read about what they offer and how they can help. It’s okay to just explore, and not commit. Most professionals will provide contact information - feel free to ask for a consultation if you need it!
Therapy is a space for growth, clarity, and support. It is important for you to find the right fit for you. A place and person that feels comfortable to you. It is okay to be unsure, nervous, and scared. That is totally normal. However, you can take step one by just researching or starting a conversation.
At Sol Counseling & Wellness LLC, I work with individuals struggling with anxiety and trauma. Feel free to explore our site to learn more and contact us with any questions!
Check out or most recent social media post for more information about what therapy with me looks like!