FAQs - About therapy
Why should I try therapy?
Our mental health affects everything in our lives -- how we see ourselves, interact with others, and see the world. Yet, we rarely spend time attending to our mental muscles and thought patterns in the same way we keep track of how diet and exercise impact our physical health. It's no wonder why when life's inevitable ups and downs come (and they will to all of us), we can sometimes feel knocked off balance.
Therapy enables you to build resilience to tackle life's challenges mindfully. Think of it like the gym for your mental health. Working with a therapist can help you examine yourself and your behaviors, identify goals and what's holding you back, and ultimately develop the skills you need to cope -- in a safe and confidential setting. You are able to build strength to move past obstacles that keep you from being who you want to be.
While therapy can help during times of crisis, studies show that therapy is most effective around skill-building when approached from a position of strength. After all, we don't wait to have a heart attack to go to the gym, so why do we wait to have a panic attack to see a therapist?
If you're interested in learning more about therapy and its uses and benefits, click here.
How do I know if therapy is right for me?
While we firmly believe that therapy is an extremely valuable investment for anyone at any time, there are definitely moments in your life where seeing a therapist may be necessary for the sake of your mental health.
These moments can include (but are not limited to): recently experiencing a life-changing event (i.e. moving to a new city, the passing of a loved one, etc.), finding yourself overusing/abusing something or someone, friends and family mentioning to you that you don't seem like yourself, or finding yourself in a funk or mood that you can't seem to shake.
Although taking the first step to seek help and choosing to go to therapy can be hard, finding a therapist can often feel even harder. We make the process easier by providing you with tailored matches and assisting with logistics at every step of the way, so you can focus on what matters most - your mental health.
How does therapy work?
Therapy provides a venue to investigate the root of the issues you're facing, whether in the past or the present, and finding ways to address or move past those issues with strength and resilience.
Because each person's mind is different and the issues they're working on may vary, there is no standard therapy model. It's as varied as the thoughts in our brain. And the science around mental health continues to evolve. There are hundreds of different kinds of therapy (known as "orientations"). Even two therapists who practice the same orientations may approach the work differently based on their own personalities, where they studied and trained, and their own backgrounds.
That's why finding the right therapist is as important as deciding to try therapy in the first place. According to the research, a good match is the best predictor of success in therapy. At reflect, we help you navigate those differences through a data-driven matching process, to uncover what individual therapist might be right for you.
If you're interested in trying therapy, click here to get started.
How long does therapy usually last?
There's a myth that therapy has to last forever. Quite the contrary. There is no rigid rule. It comes down to the progress you're making and how you feel about what you're learning. There are even some styles of therapy intended to be "short-term" (meaning up to 12 sessions).
Because each person is different, it's ultimately up to you and your therapist. Factors like your openness in sessions and how actively you implement strategies and feedback outside of session can be indicators of faster "success" in therapy. You simply can't tell until you start. And it's important to discuss goals with your therapist in the onset, so you can effectively lay out a plan that's tailored to your individual needs.
While it's not necessarily the norm, there are many people who continue going to therapy for many years, not because they feel their problems have not been solved, but because they enjoy the benefits they receive from taking that time to reflect on their issues with a professional that they've come to trust.
How often do I need to have sessions?
Again, this is a tough question. In the beginning, we recommend attending one session a week. This is usually considered the "sweet spot" as it balances time for your therapist to get to know you and explore your issues with time outside of session for you to implement and reflect on what you covered in sessions. After a few weeks you can move to a session every other week, then down to once a month, as you see fit with your own personal experience and progress.
Many reflect members find that going to therapy two-to-four times a month is an extremely rewarding investment, even after they feel they've resolved some of their internal issues. Just like going to the gym, the benefits continue even after you've achieved your goals.
That being said, we understand that one session every week is not necessarily a realistic pace for many people, so do what makes sense for you both emotionally and financially. Any time spent focusing on your mental health is an investment in bettering yourself, regardless of frequency.