The role of a therapist is not to solve your problems, despite what some people believe. They are not there to give you advice or to point out the wrongdoing of those who have harmed you.
Actually, the majority of therapists won’t even discuss the rights and wrongs of the individuals in your life. Rather, they will concentrate on assisting you in shifting your attention to what you can and cannot alter, which is ultimately you, your decisions, and how you react to situations.
The majority of therapists will spend time encouraging you to examine yourself, depending on why you are seeking therapy. This could entail discussing prior trauma and creating coping mechanisms.
It may be necessary to examine your fears in order to look inward, and then to work with your therapist to conquer them.
Alternately, you might delve deeply into your interpersonal interactions to better understand your role in improving relationships or establishing boundaries for your own protection, rather than to analyze the shortcomings of others.
Therapists can be fantastic sounding boards and terrific resources when needed, regardless of the nature of your case. However, their primary objective is to teach you how to better assist yourself.
A Timeline of your First Therapy Sessions
Waiting: The initial moments you spend in a therapist’s office may resemble those you spend waiting for any other type of medical appointment. You may wait for your therapist to bring you back for your session after checking in with a receptionist and completing the necessary papers.
Introductions: The first portion of your therapy sessions will probably be devoted to getting to know one another. Your relationship with your therapist is much like any other; it might be most effective if you can initially relate to each other personally. Feel free to discuss your favorite book or the movie you saw last week to get a feel for how you two will interact. You don’t have to go right into your darkest secrets right away.
Establishing Needs: You must explain your reasons for seeking treatment to your therapist. They could inquire about your past mental health management practices as well as the wants or problems you would like to discuss throughout your treatment. To determine how best to assist you, they will want to discuss what worked and what didn’t.
Posing Inquiries: Some of the questions your therapist may ask are secondary to figuring out what you need from therapy:
- Have you attended therapy in the past?
- What are your symptoms?
- Do you have any mental health issues in your family history?
- How is your home life?
- Do you have a history of suicidal ideation?
- Do you have a history of self-harm?
- What do you hope to get from therapy?
- What do you want to accomplish in sessions?
