A common misperception exists that therapy is supposed to sterile, cold, and impersonal.
The stereotypical scenario is that you go to the therapists’ office, lie down on the couch, and talk. All the while, a therapist sits in a chair, taking notes. Occasionally they speak up to say, “how does that make you feel?” or “that’s interesting.” Yet, they provide little else in the form of insight or even help.
Does this particular setting sound familiar to you?
Sadly, many have this view that this is how therapy should be. But that’s not the case at all.
Instead, therapy for you must be built on a relationship of trust, which involves interaction and conversational exchange.
Therapy is more than just talking, and here’s why.
An Interaction Between Equals
Therapy is a meaningful interaction between two people. Instead of sitting passively on a couch, talking to the ceiling, you have a face-to-face dialogue with your therapist.
The interaction is meant to be one between equals. Although your therapist is likely highly educated and trained, you know yourself best. Therapy for you should be one of exchanging ideas back-and-forth and not a one-way street.
Forging an Authentic Connection
Another way that therapy for you should be meaningful is that both you and the therapist create an authentic connection. Authenticity ought to include:
- Genuine
- Real
- Original
- True
Your relationship with your therapist should reflect all of these words. When you think about it, your therapist is someone with whom you share things that you wouldn’t with anyone else. So, the connection must be raw and real.
After all, that authentic connection is based on the trust that they will hold those discussions in confidence and are only concerned with your best interest.
Feeling Understood
More than anything else, you want someone who will understand what you’re struggling with.
All too often, people who seek out counseling worry what other people will think of them. If they try to share their story with someone, they might feel discounted or minimized. These emotions arise even though their concerns and struggle are very genuine.
Therapy for you should include feeling understood. Your therapist can convey that in a way that is approachable and reasonable. You don’t have to prove anything to them.
Instead, all you have to do is be yourself and speak from your truth. For some, this might be the first time in life that they’ve felt they could do this.
Learning in Counseling
Finally, a meaningful and vital part of therapy for you should include learning. Taking in new information might sound challenging, especially if you are coming to therapy in a moment of crisis.
However, over time and with consistency, you will learn new skills to cope with issues with which you struggle. Also, you will develop a better awareness of why you deal with those issues, how experiences affect your brain, and in which ways they influence the choices you make.
This enlightenment can be liberating—knowing that the reasons why you struggle with specific issues are not your fault. Instead, mental struggles are more complicated and nuanced issues. They’re often based on experiences you’ve had in your life.
What you learn in counseling will help you to live a more vibrant, fuller life outside of the therapists’ office.
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Therapy for you shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach; it’s a personalized experience that is meant to empower you. Instead of being a passive participant, you are engaging in the therapeutic process.
If you struggle with anxiety or another issue, please reach out to me today. Or, visit my page on anxiety counseling to learn more about how I can help.
I’m a professional in anxiety counseling backed with many years of helping individuals overcome their struggles. Together, we can build a successful relationship and work toward you, achieving your personal goals.