How to Gain The Most Benefit From A Psychotherapy Session

Engaging a therapist or counselor to address personal issues in your life can involve a significant investment of time, energy and money.  While a skilled and experienced therapist is essential to making the process as useful and meaningful as it can be, there are steps you can take to assist in making this experience the best it can be.

I've found that just a few minutes reflecting upon the following questions can help focus the work you do with your therapist to bring about the best outcome possible.   These questions can serve as a useful basis for reflection and don't need to be answered in writing.  They are the psychological equivalent of the stretching and other warm-up exercises athletes make sure to do in order to perform best when the time counts.

• What exactly do you want to be different in your life?

• How will you know this change has occurred? How will others know?

• What's an example of a small improvement you will notice first?

• What changes have you noticed since deciding to seek counseling? What's different already?

• If you only met once with your counselor, what would you want to make absolutely sure you discussed?

• What new skill or personal growth might you need in order to deal more effectively with this issue? How  might you grow as a person through this process?

• What positive resources and influences do you have or need in your life?

• How might your 'symptoms' be a solution to some deeper struggle in your life?

• What meaningful wisdom or lesson might you be able to gain from this current problem?

• When, how, or in what ways is your life not so bad?

• How have you tried to resolve this problem? What have you figured out so far?

Also, I suggest that you make the following commitments and affirmations that will help you get the most out of your counseling experience .

• Be as honest as possible. You may not share every deep secret the first hour, but encourage your most genuine self to emerge as much as possible.

• Be willing to deeply examine your innermost thoughts, feelings, assumptions, goals, prejudices and regrets, and accept responsibility for having them.

• Come prepared to have the most important insights or conversations of your life. It won't always happen, but make room in your head and heart for the possibility to occur.

• Affirm to yourself that even brief therapy can be an extremely life-changing and affirming experience marking a new and exciting part of your growth.

• Minimize any alcohol or drug use in the day preceding a counseling appointment so that you are as clear and responsive as possible to the work you may be able to accomplish with your therapist.

• Take some time after your session to reflect on how it went and to gain support and encouragement for your efforts. Engage in activities that will carry any insights and momentum you gain into your life, whether your therapist suggests them or you come up with them on your own.

If you take these simple steps you can be assured of getting the most benefit from the time, energy and money you are investing into improving the overall quality and satisfaction of your life.

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