5 Ways to Maximize the Benefits of Therapy
Are you already in therapy or considering this option as a way to improve your overall mental and emotional well-being? Honestly, this is a big first step. I tell my clients that so much self-awareness comes from just deciding to get support and create change. In fact, a lot of work is done before the first session because the decision to change is so powerful. My clients always come in ready to grow and work on their personal development.
The Benefits of Therapy and Coaching:
Improves mood and reduces symptoms: Therapy provides a safe space for women to discuss their anxieties and learn coping strategies that can help improve their mood and reduce symptoms. This can lead to a significant improvement in quality of life.
Increases self-awareness: Therapy can help women understand the root causes of their anxiety and develop a deeper understanding of themselves. This increased self-awareness can lead to improved self-esteem and better relationships with others.
Improves communication skills: Therapy can teach women the importance of healthy communication and how to effectively express themselves in both personal and professional relationships.
Promotes positive change: Therapy is a process that helps women make positive changes in their lives. Whether it's learning new coping strategies, gaining insight into their behavior, or improving relationships, therapy provides a supportive environment to help women grow and thrive.
Convenient and accessible: Online therapy offers women the convenience and accessibility they need to address their concerns. With virtual sessions, women can receive the help they need from the comfort of their own homes, without the need to take time off from work or other responsibilities.
Therapy can be a powerful tool. By offering a safe space to discuss concerns, improve mood, promote self-awareness, improve communication skills, and promote positive change, therapy can help clients to lead happier, healthier lives.
Are you already in therapy or considering this option as a way to improve your overall mental and emotional well-being? I truly believe that change starts from within, and therapy or coaching is an excellent guide to enhancing this change.
Getting the most out of your talk therapy sessions requires a balance of allowing both moments of spontaneous exploration and focused reflection. It’s important to let your feelings and thoughts flow freely, but it’s also important to slow down, step back, and reflect on what those thoughts and feelings are indicating, and why you might be having them. In addition to the process work done in the therapist’s office, there are some great tools to get even more out of the therapy process outside of the office.
5. Ways to Maximize The Benefits of Therapy or Coaching.
1. Journaling. Regular practice of journaling or freewriting can help make sense of your thoughts, as well as identify specific conversations you’d like to have with your therapist. What are you feeling at this moment? What are your triggers? How is your mood? You may also use this as an opportunity to keep notes on your sessions and any significant moments or feelings you may be experiencing. Through this self-awareness, it will be easier to achieve your therapy goals. If you need some inspiration to get you started, I post monthly journal prompts on the Balanced + Well blog. You can also check out previous posts on topics like mood journaling.
2. Set Specific Goals. We often forget that therapy is not only reactive but preemptive. Your goals should be holistic, attainable, and go beyond ‘getting better.’ How will I be different when I’m feeling or doing better? What habits will I need to continue practicing, so I don’t fall back into old patterns? Setting specific goals allows you to track your progress and adjust your sessions and habits accordingly.
3. After the session. Do you practice self-care after your sessions end? It’s crucial to continue caring for yourself with the prescribed treatment. Therapy is a journey, not a race. So give yourself time to process any negative or positive emotions you may be left with after a session. Reflect on these feelings and what you’ve learned. In the meantime, do the things you love so you can motivate yourself to keep going—you are going to be okay.
As the client, you’ll need to continue doing the work outside of the session and in your normal life. Once you’ve made progress, it’s time to apply what you’ve learned in counseling in real life. This can take the form of specific behavioral interventions or assignments you and your therapist decide on together. It can also take the form of more general intentions about how you want to behave going forward, such as an intention to not avoid a difficult situation that makes you anxious. Also, mindfulness, movement, support groups, community, and creative work can help you to actualize the change you’ve discussed in your sessions.
4. Take notes! Record both things you’ve learned from sessions AND things you want to talk about in upcoming sessions. This is always helpful in sessions so that your therapist and you can discuss current life stressors and come up with ways to cope with or tackle them and the focus can stay on what you are working on. It’s so easy to get sidetracked in therapy but if you have an agenda and notes, it can keep the session on track.
5. Be honest. This one may seem obvious, but it’s not. Even with the best match between a client and a therapist, it takes time to build trust. That said, when you do feel comfortable, bring all of your feelings into your sessions. Though we often seek therapy to resolve pain points, frustrations, and conflict, it’s just as important to share highlights, joy, success, and wins.
Oftentimes, people have a hard time being honest with themselves so being honest with someone else is even harder. Please remember to remain truthful to yourself and your therapist. One of the best things about therapy is that you can express yourself in a safe, judgment-free space. Your therapist can only help you if you are completely honest about your feelings. While it may be scary, this is also a wonderful opportunity to practice vulnerability while learning to heal and grow.
I wish you the best on your mental health journey and I hope these tips can help you maximize the potential benefits of therapy and coaching.
For more tips and resources, or to book a free call with me, please click the link below. I’d love to help support you!
And make sure you check out my amazing Balanced + Well Program, A 6-week results-driven program to help you ditch the stress and anxiety and gain confidence in YOU.
