How Does Therapy Work?

This blog answers your question, how does therapy work? You’re starting therapy for the first time, and aren’t sure what to expect. Talking about your feelings was discouraged when you were growing up. Perhaps you were taught to avoid opening up, and could not let others know you were struggling. 

 

It can feel awkward and uncomfortable thinking about opening up to a therapist. However, it’s gotten to a point where you’re recognizing that outside support could be beneficial. You may be experiencing depression, anxiety, or grief. In your relationship, you feel that you and your partner are at a stand still. It’s time to try something new.

 

Starting therapy is the next step for you to work towards greater growth and understanding. You’ve gone past the primary stages of scheduling a session. This includes reviewing insurance, cost, and availability. Now that it’s all ready to go, prepare for your first session with your therapist! Learn more about what therapy entails below.

 

Therapy in Simi Valley, Ca pairs you with the right fit therapist for your needs. Make sure to read our blog on How to Stop Invalidating Yourself!

 

How Does Therapy Work? Initial meetings and rapport building

You can expect your initial meetings to be tailored towards gathering information and history. Let’s say for example, that you’re coming in for couples counseling with your partner. You’ve been dating for a while, and have gone through various things together. Your therapist will need to thoroughly understand the history between you two – which won’t happen just in session 1.

 

No matter the type of counseling, your therapist will be asking about different aspects of your life. This includes your childhood, career, relationships, and more. How do all of these factors come into play to influence who you are as a person? It takes time and clarification to get to know you as a person. While this may seem unsettling, it’s for the benefit of you being understood and seen.

 

Alongside that, your therapist will be working to begin establishing rapport with you. Rapport is essentially defined as being able to communicate with trust and sympathy. It means you two have good interactions with each other, and feel comfortable in the room. 

 

Building rapport is especially important when working with younger clients or those hesitant to the idea of therapy. It shows that your therapist is on your side, and wants to support you in reaching your goals. You can develop rapport in a number of ways with your therapist. Mainly, it’s through having the space to express yourself without fear of judgment. 

 

Make sure to read our blog on First Time in Therapy: What to Expect. Our therapists in Simi Valley are experienced in working with teens, adults, couples, and families! 

 

How Does Therapy Work? Diagnoses and treatment plans

Your therapist will work to establish a history of your presenting issues. Perhaps you are coming in to address trauma from your childhood. At New Leaf, our therapists are trauma-informed, and will proceed treatment at a safe and comfortable pace. They’ll want to look at several factors of your life for a diagnosis and treatment plan, including:

 

• The trauma itself. What it was, when it occurred, how long it occurred, when it stopped happening.
• Your current functioning as an adult. This relates to school, work, finances, housing, or relationships. 
• Your presenting symptoms. They’ll look at the frequency, triggers, and intensity. 
• Coordinating a safe environment for you. They’ll want to understand your support system outside of therapy. Also, they’ll want to know what is not supportive in your environments. 

 

In the session, you and your therapist will collaborate to come up with a plan for what you’re wanting to achieve. Your goal may look like safely processing trauma and coping with symptoms of PTSD. Progress isn’t made overnight, and it’s likely that over time, you will see glimpses of progress in your everyday life. 

 

It’s true that while in therapy, you’ll find that some things work for you, while others don’t. It’s important to be able to provide feedback to your therapist about this. You may need to adjust their understanding of circumstances, for example. It’s a collaborative process, and ensuring that it feels good for you is key.

 

The same applies for if you’re starting therapy for things other than trauma. This could include depression, anxiety, neurodivergence, or even relational problems. Therapists utilize all of this information to be able to understand how to best meet your needs. From there, it’s up to you to do the hard work in and outside of therapy. 

 

Therapy in Simi Valley is held in-person at our office. Make sure to read our blog on the 3 Benefits of Individual Therapy.

 

How Does Therapy Work? Scheduling and consistency

It is highly recommended to attend therapy on a weekly, recurring basis when beginning. Oftentimes, therapists may also agree to biweekly sessions when starting. This is because it takes consistency to make real progress in therapy, both in and outside of sessions. Being consistent with therapy helps not only the therapist, but it helps you too. 

 

Depending on your therapist’s availability, it’s likely that you’ll secure the same time and day moving forward. This standing appointment between you and your therapist will remain until any conversations around frequency. As therapy is a personal investment into yourself, it’s important to set aside time for this process. 

 

Progress can be difficult to make, or even track, if you’re starting therapy on a less frequent basis. This is because you and your therapist may be playing catch-up for the weeks in between your sessions. The progress could be slow as the initial meetings are still being tailored to gathering information. Therefore, monthly or as-needed sessions as appropriate once goals have already been met. 

 

Therapy can often be thought of as a drop-in service. However, with what we’ve discussed so far, it’s highly unlikely that you can share all of your history in just 50 minutes. It’s also thought that therapists can give you answers, or tell you what to do – this is also false. Therapists are here to guide and support you to find these answers yourselves. 

 

In Sum

 

With consistency, you will routinely work towards learning more about yourself. Breaking down our histories can take time, and requires care and consideration. By building rapport with your therapist, you can feel more comfortable being vulnerable in the room. 

 

Still have some questions on what to expect in therapy? Consider contacting us for a free consultation on therapy in Simi Valley. We look forward to connecting with you to support you in your journey. 

 

In-person therapy in Simi Valley is ideal for those seeking a separate, safe space from their home. Check out our blog on Online Therapy or In Office Therapy to understand what format is best for you. Another great blog to read is ours on if you need Therapy or Medication to address your issues.

 

By seeking out support, you can begin your journey to feeling relief. You don’t have to go through finding the right level of support alone, either. By clicking here, you’ll read our blog on Information About Simi Valley Therapists.

 

Consider calling our therapy group at (805) 774-1506 for a free consultation on how you or a loved one can get started today!

 

Seek out a validating, safe environment with us today. We will help you get to where you want to be. Our therapists provide trauma therapy, teen therapy, individual adult therapy, LGBTQIA+ therapy, anxiety therapy, depression therapy, family therapy, and more in-office in Simi Valley, CA.