WHY ENGAGE IN THERAPY?
We need more from therapy than learning techniques to soothe ourselves. The purpose of the therapy process is to learn to self reflect and get to know yourself. Once you understand what you do and why, you now have the ability to change. When you know and accept yourself, nobody else can use their observations of you against you, there is nothing you need to hide, even from yourself. You can go forth into the world with more confidence, autonomy and resilience, knowing and accepting responsibility for who you are. When you understand how and why you behave the way you do, you can make a conscious choice about what course of action you take. You can respond, rather than react. This will empower you to express your needs and wants, and protect you from people-pleasing, impostor syndrome and being gaslit.
Take ownership of everything you are, embrace your power and place in the world.
DO I NEED THERAPY?
We may think that other people have bigger problems than we do and that our issues do not merit the time and attention of a therapist. If you question “Is my issue big enough for therapy?” the short answer is “yes”. If you are feeling distressed for any reason, or if you are uncertain about yourself or where you are going in life, therapy can help.
Every person in the world has their own unique set of issues, due to how they have been raised in their particular familial and social experience. As most of us have never learned how to identify or question how we respond to things that cause our distress, we continue to behave in a way that perpetuates it. The therapeutic process can change this.
It is not the place of a therapist to judge the severity of your issue - if you feel you need help to work something out, this is enough. It may be that you have a specific issue you wish to work on, or you may simply need space to explore your life choices without pressure, whilst feeling accepted and being free of unsolicited advice.
WHAT IS THERAPY?
Therapy is a different relationship to any other you may have in your life. Your therapist is not invested in the particular outcomes that your friends, family members or romantic partners may hope for you (or for themselves). Therapy provides a non-judgemental space and invites, encourages and facilitates your exploration of your life, enabling you to reach the conclusion that is right for you. Every individual utilises therapy in their own way and chooses how to engage with it.
Unless you have chosen a structured therapy process such as CBT, therapy is a process of self discovery. It isn't just "having a chat", rather, it is a purposeful exploration of what you have come to believe about yourself and others and the impact of this on your life. Therapy is a collaborative process and throughout the exploration, realisations about you occur for both therapist and client. The decision to change is yours alone.
DOES THERAPY WORK?
Psychotherapy has proven benefits and can be highly effective in improving mental health and emotional wellbeing, developing better coping strategies, increasing self awareness, improving resilience and confidence and creating stronger relationships. Unlike most relationships in your life, a therapist provides support that is solely focussed on you.
Therapy can improve personal growth. It is often the case that it is not clear how we feel about something or why we feel a certain way, which can affect the way we behave and relate to others. Sometimes we are unaware of the things about ourselves that get in the way of our progression in life and these can be revealed throughout the therapy process.
Research consistently shows that therapy works - not only helping with immediate issues of stress management, anxiety and depression, but by improving how we feel about ourselves longer term, through better relationships and greater self understanding. For many, taking the first step towards therapy can be life-changing, offering support and clarity, resulting in lasting positive change. Some people notice improvement within a few sessions, while others benefit from longer term support.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN YOUR FIRST THERAPY SESSION
This session is used to go through the practicalities of the therapy process such as contracting, determining what you want to achieve from the process and submitting emergency information/contacts. It is also an opportunity to discover whether the type of therapy or the way of working is suitable for you. Any questions you may have are welcome.
The conversation is led by you, with prompts from your therapist, giving an overview of what you are experiencing in the present, how you relate to others and your experience of growing up, which could include your family structure, your educational experience, social life, or any experience you may wish to mention. You determine what you do and don't want to talk about, there is no pressure to say what you aren’t ready to say. Whilst the session will give you an idea of what the process will feel like, it is more focussed on understanding you as a person, rather than fully exploring your immediate issue at hand, which can be fully explored in subsequent sessions.