Therapy can help you gain a new perspective on difficult problems. Whether you are working with a counselor one-on-one, with your partner in couples counseling, or in a therapy group, psychotherapy can help you to feel more empowered in relationships and to alter self-defeating behaviors.
Engagement in psychotherapy or counseling can provide support and opportunities for problem solving when coping skills are overwhelmed by painful feelings of doubt, guilt, or despair. And, at times, particularly when feeling isolated, depressed, or anxious, it can be helpful just to know that someone understands and can help you make sense of what you are feeling.
Therapy is a collaborative journey designed to help you deal with family-of-origin issues, communications problems, life transitions, anxiety, and depression. Learning how your past gets carried forward into the present (including old solutions that no longer work) can open new options for more rewarding life choices.
The first step in this important journey is choosing the right therapist. There will likely be many to choose from and taking the time to find the right match is very important to a successful outcome.
Common Questions about Therapy
How is counseling different from psychotherapy?
Often these terms are used interchangeably, and many skilled therapists do both counseling and psychotherapy. To the extent that there may be a distinction, clients who seek counseling may be looking for a more focused approach to address a relatively discrete issue (e.g. alcohol counseling, or grief counseling), and those who seek psychotherapy may be looking for an opportunity for a more in-depth exploration and understanding of broader issues such as repeated interpersonal strains, sense of meaningless, loneliness, and isolation.
How frequently does one meet with a counselor or psychotherapist?
Although it is often helpful to meet weekly in the beginning when you are establishing a relationship with your therapist, meaningful ongoing work can take place at whatever frequency you and your therapist find useful.