Taking the first step and deciding to attend therapy is essential to improving your life, but the benefits of therapy can’t be taken advantage of without creating goals. Even the small goals matter and will help you achieve larger ones along the way, but it can take some effort to help realize them. This article will share some ways you can do this so that you can get the most out of therapy and potentially change your life.
1. Consider Why You’re Attending Therapy In The First Place
While there are tons of people who already know what they want from therapy, people who attend it for the first often have a vague idea, but nothing too specific, such as “I have anxiety” or “I am having a hard time in my relationship.”
These are all great starting points, but they can be expanded on, and oftentimes a therapist will brainstorm with you and help you figure out more specific goals for these much broader issues.
A therapist will typically ask you questions about why you’re feeling the way you do and how it’s impacting your life.
For example, an individual might express that they simply don’t want to be sad anymore, but in order to resolve this, the factors that lead to these negative feelings should be listed out, and addressed and from here, you can find solutions.
As the last section suggests, listing out the potential reasons why you are struggling is recommended, and that is because it can help you narrow your focus on a particular theme.
Many people have a myriad of problems that they are experiencing that cause them to feel depressed or anxious, but to tackle this larger issue, a step-by-step approach is ideal.
For example, work or school may be a huge reason why you are feeling overwhelmed, or a lack of communication might be causing turmoil in your relationship.
By honing in on these underlying issues one at a time, you are creating goals that will increase your chances of resolving the main broader issue that you are having.
3. Think About Your Ideal Outcomes
Equally as important as finding the themes of why you are seeking therapy in the first place is to consider what you want to get out of therapy.
Are there things that you would like to do more often, or on the other side of the coin, maybe there are certain things that you want less of and should cut out? Perhaps you want to feel like a more open, energized, or creative individual, especially if you felt that way in the past.
You can get some more ideas by checking out: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/therapy/how-to-determine-therapy-goals-that-are-right-for-you/
All of these hopes and aspirations can greatly shape your treatment plan and can also help you stay motivated to commit to therapy. By sharing and discussing these types of goals with your therapist, they can help you get on the right path to achieving them.
Hopefully, these few tips will help you, along with the advice from your therapist, create goals that will solve the issues that you are currently struggling with. Although it’s helpful to have a good idea of what you want to get out of therapy before you make that first appointment, if you aren’t fully certain yet, don’t worry; mental health professionals are there to give you a hand in helping you find goals that are realistic and achievable, and that you can keep track of over time. Keep in mind that therapy is a process and reaching these goals will most likely not be quick and easy, but with a solid support system, it will certainly be more feasible than if you were trying to do things on your own.
Marie Miguel Biography
Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
Author Marie Miguel