Sometimes therapy gets talked about in an elusive way, making it a bit confusing to understand. If you ask a friend who is in therapy what they do, you might get responses like, “I do talk therapy,” or “my therapist helps me sort things out.” Sometimes therapy seems to be a lot of talking, without emphasis on direction, change, or growth. But here at True Flourish Counseling, we believe that change and growth are an integral piece of the therapy puzzle. So how do we get there?
Therapeutic Environment
Therapy takes place in a safe environment where you can talk about what’s going on for you without judgment from the therapist or anyone else in the room. This might take place in a physical space or with the use of a HIPPA compliant video conferencing software. A good therapist will encourage honesty from their clients. They should utilize unconditional positive regard along the way so that the client feel safe expressing themselves fully.
Therapeutic Goals
It’s important that every client develop goals for therapy. This will help you and your therapist stay on track throughout the course of therapy, and will inform the type of therapy you do. During each session, there will be some time set aside for talking about whatever has come up for you throughout the week, as well as what brought you to therapy in the first place. We will spend time exploring different aspects of those issues and we might use different evidence-based exercises to help move you towards your goals.
What can I expect from my sessions?
You can expect to be treated with respect and dignity at True Flourish Counseling. You have a story, and we want to hear what it is! Your therapist will strive to create a judgement free space, and they will hold you accountable to refraining from unhelpful self-judgement as well. Your therapist wants to help you find your own answers, not come up with answers for you.
An example of a therapeutic approach: CBT
A very common and highly sought-after form of therapy is called CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). CBT is a form of psychotherapy developed by the Becks that focuses on how your thoughts, feelings and behaviors influence each other. It’s based on the idea that your thoughts directly affect your feelings and behaviors. CBT helps you to identify and change unhelpful patterns of thinking that may be contributing to distress or problems in your life. It’s a collaborative process between therapist and client to achieve your therapeutic goals.
Your therapist should help you understand how your thoughts, feelings and behaviors are connected. In this way, the therapist helps you to recognize patterns of behavior that may be holding you back in life. The goal is not necessarily to eliminate all negative thoughts or feelings but rather improve how they impact your life overall so that you are no longer stuck in patterns that do not serve you.
