Are you worried about what to expect from online or in person therapy? Do you wonder if it will even help you? That’s totally normal. Many people feel this way. What really even happens in online or in person therapy, anyway? And how can you be sure it will really help?

You may be nervous about going to counseling and likely have a lot of questions how therapy works. You are not alone, many clients have told me they feel this way and that they had a lot of questions. After all, isn’t it weird to talk to someone I don’t know about personal things going on in my life?

Sometimes, these questions have led people to hesitate to get therapy when they really felt they needed it. It is my hope that some of these questions will be answered by this post.

If you would like to better understand what counseling is, how it helps, and how to get the most out of your counseling so you can feel confident when you reach out to the therapists you are interested in working with, read on.

Questions About Therapy

What Is Therapy?

Online or in person therapy is a collaborative process with your counselor in which you identify the areas you want to improve on and strengths you want to build. The therapist helps you create a plan to do this so you can heal from your pain, reduce your symptoms, improve your relationships, and live the healthier life you’ve always wanted to.

How Can Talking To Someone I Don’t Know Help Me?

Strangely enough, it’s often because they aren’t family or a friend that they can help more. How often does a friend or family member give you good advice and you ignore it? We all do that. But when you are talking to someone who has studied how best to help others, it’s different. I can’t tell you how often someone tells me, “my friend said that too, I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else.”

How Will I know It’s Helping Me?

The main way to tell if it’s helping is that you start to feel better. This may not mean you go from stressed out and depressed to happy right away. Often it means instead of constant anxiety and depression or PTSD symptoms, you have episodes or moments of these symptoms. It can also be that the intensity or how strong the feelings are reduce or they happen less often.

I Hear People Talking About Types Of Therapy- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing (EMDR) To Name A Few, And This Is Confusing To Me, Does The Type Of Therapy Matter?

Studies say that the most important part is the relationship with your counselor and that you feel open and able to trust them with your story. That being said, some interventions are considered to be more helpful with certain issues. For example, EMDR though it is helpful with many issues is most well known for how it helps with trauma, anxiety, and depression. Likewise, CBT can help with many issues, but is most well known to help with thoughts, self criticism, and how this can lead to choices you later regret. Play Therapy and Art Therapy can help with many issues as well, but are particularly helpful when it is hard to put your pain into words. This is not a very thorough description of any of these therapy types though so you may want to further research each one if you are looking for a particular approach to therapy. For more information about the types of therapy I specialize in click on the following links: EMDR and TFCBT and Play and Art Therapy.

What Do I Do If I Don’t Connect Well With The Therapist Or The Counselor Isn’t A “Good Fit” For Me?

The best thing to do, if you are comfortable doing it, is to tell them as it is often something they can adjust such as if you learn better through practicing a skill in session rather than having them explain it and practicing it on your own. If they aren’t able to adjust to your needs, it’s best to let them know and look for a therapist that’s a better fit for you.

How Do I Make Sure The Therapist Is A “Good Fit” For Myself And My Family Or Myself And My Partner When We Are Ready To Do Family Therapy Or Couples Therapy?

It is very important the therapist is a good fit for all family members that you plan to have involved in family therapy or couples therapy as otherwise it can lead to the process becoming more difficult than it needs to be. Especially if one of the family members start to feel that the therapist is taking one person’s side. This happens when all family members do not feel able to trust the therapist. To avoid this, even if you don’t plan to start with family therapy, it’s important that each family member do the free consultation with the therapist and everyone be in agreement on the counselor the family chooses to work with. Sometimes, this means the therapist you choose for individual counseling may not be the same person you choose for family or couples therapy. In fact, most therapists recommend it, as it ensures the family or couples therapist can be objective, not take sides, and has no other information other than what has been shared as a family.

I hope this helps you find the right online or in person counselor for you in Eureka. If you are still feeling stuck, feel free to call me at (707) 954-7060 for a free 15 minute phone consultation. I’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help direct you to the right person. If you are looking for help with anxiety, depression, or trauma, you can read more about how I help here.