Is
this your first appointment with a new therapist? If this is the case, it will
take a while for you to get to know the therapist and their style, as well as
for them to get to know you. Therapy is useless if there’s not positive energy
both ways. Evaluate your sessions, and
do not accept or stay with a therapist who imposes his/her own opinions,
interest/ issues into your therapy, or establishes goals for your therapy
that you don't want.
Collaboration
is one of the most important issues when selecting a therapist. In order to
determine the most effective route, determining who is going to be on your side
is one of the essential aspects. For example, communication’s an important
factor and will your therapist provide open contact with your psychiatrist. And
don’t forget you are a part of the team as well!
Whether
you are with a new therapist, or one that you have been seeing, preparing what
to discuss from session to session is important. Think about things prior to
your appointment is helpful. Are there specific things that are presently
bothering you or causing you stress? Nevertheless, it is the therapist’s job to
guide you and help stimulate discussion. However, while a therapy session
usually lasts 45-50, and seems like a fair amount of time, the time goes
quickly because one topic often leads to another topic, and the list you
prepared prior to the appointment, most likely will only be able to touch upon
a few things before the next session.
Another
point is frequency, if there are many
things in your life that need to be addressed, deciding how often you need to
attend sessions, is important. The need to visit your therapist weekly or
biweekly is not out of the norm.
Additionally
one important thing to keep in your mind is therapy is not a quick fix. It is a
long process, and should never be looked at as being a “cure.”
Talking
about your problems can help you to spot things which are causing difficulties
in your life. A person with a different perspective of your situation can help
you decide how to address the problems you are having, and how to deal with the
things you cannot fix. Through discussion, you can find ways to handle your
problems so that the same issues will not continually disrupt your life.
There
are many different kinds of talk therapy. The two most commonly used for
depression are cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy.
Both types of therapy can be effective in treating mood disorders, especially
the depression aspect. Finding a provider that specializes in mood disorders is
essential, and one of the most important aspects of treatment. It’s critical as
well that the therapist is versed in the various forms of talk therapist. Mood
disorders do not entail utilizing psychotropic drugs, they include coping
strategies provided through talk therapy.
Therapy
in Latin means "curing, healing” and is the attempted remediation of a
health problem. Below are some examples of talk therapy techniques that your
therapist may implicate:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
(CBT):
helps you change harmful ways of thinking. If you tend to see things
negatively, it teaches you how to look at the world more clearly; it also helps
on look at how negative thought patterns may be affecting your mood. The
therapist helps you learn how to make positive changes in your thoughts and
behaviors.
Interpersonal Therapy (IT): helps you learn
to relate better with others and to focus on how to express your feelings, and
how to develop better people skills. IT focuses on how you relate to others and
helps you make positive changes in your personal relationships.
Behavioral Therapy (BT): helps you
change harmful ways of acting. The goal is to get control over behavior that is
causing problems for you.
Group Therapy: a form of
therapy in which multiple clients are treated simultaneously. Although talk
therapy with a therapist is commonly performed, one on one, group talk therapy
can also be effective. In traditional group therapy, the existence of the group
plays a key role, and the simple act of discussing your feelings with others allows
you to gain new insight and perspective.
Dialectical behavior therapy
(DBT): a cognitive-behavioral
approach that emphasizes the psychosocial aspects of treatment. It’s a type of
therapy designed to help people change patterns of behavior that are not
effective, and developed to treat interpersonal chaos, intense emotional
swings, impulsiveness, confusion about the self (identity), and suicidal
behavior. Helps people increase their emotional and cognitive regulation by
learning about the triggers that lead to reactive states and helping to assess
which coping skills to apply. It’s a cognitive-behavioral approach that
emphasizes the psychosocial aspects of treatment
While these examples don’t include the gamut of
methods, these may provide a basic understanding of what your therapist might
employ. The most important factors are that you feel comfortable sitting with
your therapist face to face and can communicate with him or her in a safe
environment. Being able to be unconditionally understood is so important, and
feeling like there is no judgment no matter what is said. Every therapist
utilizes various approaches and finding the one that meshes with your personal
view is essential.