Success in Therapy
Talking therapy is not a magical cure. You must make a commitment to it. You must actively participate in it. Many people do not know what is expected of them in therapy. In therapy you should be trying to talk about the problems that brought you into treatment.
Make a commitment to the Therapy Process
For your therapy to be successful, you must make a commitment to working with your therapist. During your therapy time you should focus on problems related to your concerns. This may mean talking about things which are difficult or painful to talk about. It is natural to not want to talk about painful things. But it is exactly these painful feelings that may be related to your sadness, anxiety, anger, or feelings of dissatisfaction.
In between therapy sessions, it is important that you
think about the topics that you talked about in therapy.
Concentrate on the therapy, before and after each session.
Make some time each day to think about the things that you talked about in the last therapy session. You can also think about things that you would like to talk about in the next therapy session.
Record your thoughts during the week.
Write down the thoughts and feelings you have. In any type of therapy, keeping a record can help you and your therapist identify the thoughts and feelings that may be leading to your depression.
Do any homework that your therapist assigns.
Sometimes homework assignments may seem unimportant or not worth the effort. But doing your homework assignments is important. Homework can help to give your life structure.
Communicate with your therapist.
The most important thing in your therapy sessions is being able to talk with your therapist. A lot of people do not realize how important their relationship with their therapist is. Studies show that a good therapy relationship often leads to a successful treatment.
Share your thoughts, feelings, and actions with your therapist.
To understand your depression, your therapist must get to know you. Only then can your therapist decide the best way to treat your depression. Your therapist must learn what kinds of relationships you are involved in. Your therapist needs to know how you think and how you cope with problems. If you find yourself hiding information from your therapist, this may be a sign that you are uncomfortable.
Your relationship with your therapist can be an example of a successful relationship.
Therapy involves two people. In this sense, it is a relationship. The problems you have in other relationships may come up in the relationship you have with your therapist. You and your therapist can use the feelings that come up in the therapy relationship to understand how you think and feel in other relationships.