FAQs

What are the different kinds of psychotherapy?

There are many different approaches to psychotherapy. Psychologists generally draw on one or more of these. Each theoretical perspective acts as a roadmap to help the psychologist understand their patients and their problems and develop solutions.

The kind of treatment you receive will depend on a variety of factors: current psychological research, your psychologist's theoretical orientation, and what works best for your situation. Psychologists who use cognitive- behavioral therapy, for example, have a practical approach to treatment. 

Your psychologist might ask you to tackle certain tasks designed to help you develop more effective coping skills. This approach often involves homework assignments.Your psychologist might ask you to gather more information, such as logging your reactions to a particular situation as they occur. Or your psychologist might want you to practice new skills between sessions, such as asking someone with an elevator phobia to practice pushing elevator buttons. You might also have readingassignments so you can learn more about a particular topic. In contrast,psychoanalytic and humanistic approaches typically focus more on talking than doing. You might spend your sessions discussing your early experiences to help you and your psychologist better understand the root causes of your current problems.

The main thing to know is whether your psychologist has expertise in the area you need help with and whether your psychologist feels he or she can help you.

What should I expect?

A typical psychotherapy session lasts about 60 minutes. To make the most of your time, make a list of the points you want to cover and what you want to work on in psychotherapy.

Be prepared to share information about what's bringing you to the psychologist. Even a vague idea of what you want to accomplish can help you and your psychologist proceed efficiently and effectively.

By the end of the first few sessions, you should have a new understanding of your problem, a game plan, and a new sense of hope.

Successful treatment is the result of three factors working together: 

• Evidence-based treatment that is appropriate for your problem
• The psychologist's clinical expertise
• Your characteristics, values, culture, and preferences

When people begin psychotherapy, they often feel that their distress is never going to end. Psychotherapy helps people understand that they can do something to improve their situation. That leads to changes that enhance healthy behavior, whether it's improving relationships, expressing emotions better or thinking more positively. While some issues and problems respond best to a particular style of therapy, what remains critical and important is the therapeutic alliance and relationship with your psychologist.

How long should psychotherapy take?

Psychotherapy isn't a lifetime commitment.In one classic study, half of psychotherapy patients improved after eight sessions. And 75% improved after six months.

You might think that undergoing psychotherapy means committing to years of weekly treatment. Not so. How long psychotherapy takes depends on several factors: the type of problem or disorder, the patient's characteristics and history, the patient'sgoals, what's going on in the patient's life outside psychotherapy, and how fast the patient is able to make progress.

Some people feel relief after only a single session of psychotherapy. Meeting with a psychologist can give a new perspective, help them see situations differently, and offer relief from pain. Most people find some benefit after a few sessions, especially if they're working on a single, well-defined problem and did not wait too long before seeking help. 

Other people and situations take longer- maybe a year or two-to benefit from psychotherapy. They may experienced serious traumas, have have multiple problems, or just be unclear about what's making them unhappy.

Others continue psychotherapy even after they solve the problems that brought them there initially. That's because they continue to experience new insights, improved well-being, and better functioning.

How do I know when I'm ready to stop?

You and your psychologist will decide together when you are ready to end therapy. One day, you'll realize you're no longer going to bed and waking up worrying about the problem that brought you to therapy. Or you will get positive feedback from others. Together you and your doctor will assess whether you've achieved the goals you established at the beginning of the process.

What happens after psychotherapy ends?

You might want to meet with your psychologist again a couple of weeks or a month after psychotherapy ends just to report how you're doing. If all is well, you can wrap things up at that follow-up session.

Don't think of psychotherapy as having a beginning, middle and end. You can solve one problem, then face a new situation in your life and feel the skills you learned during your last course of treatment need a little tweaking. Or you might just need a "booster" session to reinforce what you learned last time. Think of it as a mental health tune-up.