Psychotherapists and Counsellors Answer your Questions

After Session 1, as the new skills and knowledge kick in and they find they are managing better and changing things and no longer alone in their problem

After Session 1, as the new skills and knowledge kick in and they find they are managing better and changing things and no longer alone in their problem

When they build a deeper therapeutic alliance with their therapist.

When they build a deeper therapeutic alliance with their therapist.

That varies a great deal and there is no single answer. For therapy focusing on improving skills at managing or coping with a situation, progress can be made immediately. For some people, having a...

That varies a great deal and there is no single answer. For therapy focusing on improving skills at managing or coping with a situation, progress can be made immediately. For some people, having a problem to tackle and complete every session is important. For others, therapy may be a more gradual process as deeper issues are explored and change happens slowly over time. Some people find that they need time to build trust before other goals can be approached. Each person is different and there is no right or wrong. I think the most important issue here is making sure the pace is right for you. If you are feeling unsure about the speed of progress being made, I encourage you to say so. It might be a matter of clarifying what is happening to feel more comfortable in therapy, or it may be that we need to change to a new approach. I am more than happy to talk about how things are going at any time.

This is hard to answer. I know from the research evidence that the answer is either just before or after they decide to make an appointment. Often therapy catalyses or reinforces change already...

This is hard to answer. I know from the research evidence that the answer is either just before or after they decide to make an appointment. Often therapy catalyses or reinforces change already underway. Some clients get what they need or want in one session, some in six and some in fifteen. I trust that the patient believes there is sufficient benefit going on to rebook another session, I often discuss this with the client.

This is difficult to say because people can present with many different issues and expectations. Often people can feel immediate relief just from talking through their presenting problem, whereas...

This is difficult to say because people can present with many different issues and expectations. Often people can feel immediate relief just from talking through their presenting problem, whereas others may have other longer term struggles, learned patterns or trauma that don't have immediate solutions.

I would aim to give people something to take away with them from the first session. I find that 5-6 sessions are a realistic time-frame for most people to develop some good good coping skills and to...

I would aim to give people something to take away with them from the first session. I find that 5-6 sessions are a realistic time-frame for most people to develop some good good coping skills and to start to understand the underlying issues. 8-10 sessions would be needed to work more thoroughly on underlying issues and will be enough for some people. Others may want more in depth work and 15 - 20 sessions or more long term therapy can be beneficial to gain a deeper understanding of oneself and will be very rewarding in terms of practical changes to ones' life. Of course, therapy is a very individual process and the time frame depends on the individual, the resources they have already developed, and the issues they are dealing with.

Tough question!! This will vary with each and every client and is determined by such variables as contextual influences, social-cultural influences, historical and personality factors and a host of...

Tough question!! This will vary with each and every client and is determined by such variables as contextual influences, social-cultural influences, historical and personality factors and a host of other influences. I find this an extraordinary difficult question to respond to and am not sure at all that there is any clear answer possible.

When I come up against a problem in the outside world, I think of my therapist. I imagine telling my therapist my problem and then make up different scenario outcomes, then choose the best one I think...

When I come up against a problem in the outside world, I think of my therapist. I imagine telling my therapist my problem and then make up different scenario outcomes, then choose the best one I think she would be proud of. Sometimes she can be the little angel on my shoulder guiding me. There is no right or wrong answer for this, it depends what you need in therapy, and how this feels for you!

The first time they access their Self and be with a part of them in a way they have never experienced before. It is transformational.

The first time they access their Self and be with a part of them in a way they have never experienced before. It is transformational.

Different clients feel this at different times, needless to say. They often feel that progress is being made when: -They could trust the therapist and feel comfortable with the therapeutic...

Different clients feel this at different times, needless to say. They often feel that progress is being made when: -They could trust the therapist and feel comfortable with the therapeutic space -They are able to embrace different type of feelings (from sadness to anger to happy) without feeling guilty or embarrassed. -They are able to make decision and lead life according to their own way (in the context of earthly reality within the society we live in).

After the first session there is usually a feeling of relief, however the length of therapy depends on the issue, how long the issue has been there, how the client responds and other support available...

After the first session there is usually a feeling of relief, however the length of therapy depends on the issue, how long the issue has been there, how the client responds and other support available outside therapy. I would say between the 5th and the 10th sessions there is an established sense of well-being, but there might be follow-up sessions needed.

There is no one size fits all answer to this question. For some it may only take a few sessions for others they may start on one aspect and open up to others. Feedback from clients tells me that the...

There is no one size fits all answer to this question. For some it may only take a few sessions for others they may start on one aspect and open up to others. Feedback from clients tells me that the experience of really being listened to, even in a first session, can have a profound effect.

Clients will feel progress is being made when they see the change in themselves

Clients will feel progress is being made when they see the change in themselves

From my experience, unless you come away from the first session having felt listened to, then perhaps the client-therapist match it's right. Progress in terms of achieving client goals, identifying...

From my experience, unless you come away from the first session having felt listened to, then perhaps the client-therapist match it's right. Progress in terms of achieving client goals, identifying problems and addressing them, is entirely dependant on the client's situation. This is something that needs to be openly discussed and negotiate from the start.

I feel that when the client starts noticing changes in their behaviour they will feel it is progressing.

I feel that when the client starts noticing changes in their behaviour they will feel it is progressing.