Going to therapy for the first time (tips)
- replies: 4
Hi everyone There’s a lot of people in these forums that have thought about going to therapy for the first time, so I thought I’d make a post about it. I get that it’s scary. It’s daunting. You’re basically coming in and saying hello to a person you’... View more
Hi everyone There’s a lot of people in these forums that have thought about going to therapy for the first time, so I thought I’d make a post about it. I get that it’s scary. It’s daunting. You’re basically coming in and saying hello to a person you’ve never met ready to open up for the first time. I’m no stranger to therapy, but these are things I’d wish that I’d known - - It’s totally okay to be scared and to not know what to say or do. Therapists are used to that. - Therapy is your time. This seems kinda obvious but it’s not - it’s okay to speak up, to ask questions, to challenge your therapist, to question why he/she said this not that, or where you’re heading and what you’re focusing on. - Whatever you are feeling is totally normal. I’ve walked in and out of therapy feeling anything from scared, sad, excited, angry, frustrated, confident - it’s annoyingly cliche but it is part of the process. - If you’re not ready to talk about things, you don’t have to. You might decide to go to therapy to talk about trauma, but if you’re not ready - then you’re not ready. It took me a long time to tell my therapist about some of the personal things that had happened. I wanted to build up a lot of trust first. - There are lots of different therapists. No two are ever the same. Likewise, there are lots of different therapy approaches; psychotherapy, CBT, DBT, ACT - the list is endless. It’s not all sitting on a couch talking endlessly about your feelings. Sometimes it’s practical with homework and real world tasks. - You’re allowed to switch if your therapist doesn’t feel right for you. Sometimes it really is about who you click with and feel most comfortable with. - You don’t have to have a diagnosis or feel like you’re crazy to go to therapy. One of my older therapists said she wished everyone went to therapy because you learn so much about yourself. I totally agree with that. They are there for you; whether you feel like you’re in a puddle or you’re drowning. Soo what do you think? Is there anything else you wish you’d known before seeing a therapist? Is there anything that helped you take that first step? Please feel free to share!
