10 Ways to Prepare for Therapy and Make the Most of Your Time
Mar 07, 2023
- Make sure you find a therapist who is a good fit. Consider what you want to work on, and aspects of your identity and who you might work best with. Feeling comfortable and like you can relate to your therapist is key to a good therapeutic relationship.
- Take some time to think about the topics or areas in your life that you would like to discuss in therapy. Write down any questions you have or concerns you have about those topics.
- Understand that therapy is not a quick fix, and it will require time and effort on your end to work through the topics and issues you bring to the session.
- Plan to bring items with you to the first session that you think may be helpful, such as journal entries or notes about how you have been feeling and what your goals are.
- If it’s your first appointment, find out if there are any specific forms you need to fill out prior to the session. For example, often the therapist will want you to fill out paperwork and answer some questionnaires before the session, as well as verify your insurance or payment method.
- Get plenty of rest the night before your appointment to ensure you are in the best frame of mind to discuss and process the topics you will be discussing.
- If possible, leave any distractions at home-don’t check your phone during session unless you need to reference a note you made, if you’re doing virtual therapy try to focus just on the therapy screen by turning on do not disturb for notifications.
- Take time between sessions to reflect on how you are feeling, how the boundaries you are working on are feeling and working for you and practice the skills you are learning. Pay attention to themes and patterns in your life.
- Be honest with your therapist! We can’t help if we don’t know what’s going on. We’re here to listen not to judge. We’ll as questions to learn more, and if there is something you aren’t ready to dive into yet it’s okay to say so! We’re here to support you!
- Practice self-care between sessions. Figure out what takes good care of you and take time to fill your own cup. Therapy can be hard at times, so taking the time to care for yourself is important!
