What does ‘Going to therapy’ mean?

If you injure your leg you will most likely go to a doctor. The doctor will talk to you about how it feels, how you injured it, and if you have injured it before. The doctor will then decide on an intervention or treatment plan. This plan could involve medication, support devices such as strapping or crutches, and possibly physiotherapy. You probably wouldn’t think twice about making that appointment and getting your injury cared for.

In a basic explanation, therapy is the same - except the injuries are ones of the psyche and the mind. You may have experienced a trauma, feel overwhelmed with work-related stress, be experiencing heightened anxiety or feelings of depression, you may have negative thoughts and doubt yourself constantly, or you may even be experiencing challenges with addiction. These are some of the ‘injuries’ that can affect your psyche and mind.

When you go to therapy you are going to a psychologist, therapist, or licenced counsellor to explore the type of injury you are experiencing, decide on a treatment or intervention plan, and then work with this plan towards healing. This process is contained with the same therapist and could be a short-term, medium-term, or long-term intervention depending on what you require.

A therapeutic process aims to help support and enhance your mental health, which directly impacts on your quality of life. This support helps you engage with your worldview, your core beliefs, and your personal experiences. Drawing these together through non-judgemental interactions with your therapist can teach you strategies to manage your everyday life and heal from anything that you need to heal from.

Therapy sessions (sometimes referred to as psychotherapy or talk therapy) can be conducted individually, in a group, or as a couple/family. The structure of the therapy will depend on the reason you are seeking out this support. This is something you can speak to your therapist about when you meet them for the first time.

When you are thinking of starting therapy you may wonder how it will work. Therapy is a collaborative process where both therapist and client (that’s you) actively engage with one another in the space.

The first thing to develop is a sense of trust with your therapist. You will be working together through sensitive and personal topics, you need to feel comfortable with your therapist. This will assist you in honestly engaging with them and their suggestions or reflections.

A therapeutic space is non-judgemental and your therapist should not make you fee lun comfortable or bad about yourself during these sessions. The therapeutic space is one of safety and compassion, one where you can unpack things that cause you distress and learn how to accept, work with, understand, and move forward. Whilst the work in therapy may be hard, you will be contained and supported by your therapist.

You will decide in the beginning of the process what your therapy goals are and your therapist will explain to you how they work. There are different approaches to therapy depending on which therapist you choose.

However, no matter what approach your therapist uses one thing that is universal (and legally required) is confidentiality. This means that the content of your sessions is kept private and any notes your therapist makes are securely stored. They are also not allowed to share any of your information with anyone unless you have given them written permission. There are some instances when confidentiality can be breached, such as a threat of suicide or disclosure of abuse. It is important to talk to your therapist about confidentiality and its limits before you begin your therapeutic journey.

Now that you have a better understanding about what therapy is and how it works you may be ready to book that first session. But what do you need to prepare for it?

It is actually quite simple, the first session is all about getting to know you and the reason that you are seeking out a therapeutic space. There are a few things you can think about as you get ready for the first session:

Deciding to go to therapy is an investment in yourself, you are committing to improving yourquality of life, mental, and emotional health. This is something to be proud of

Finding the right therapist and booking the first session can be the first steps in trusting thetherapeutic process and yourself.

If you feel that therapy may be of assistance to you, reach out and book your first appointment.