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How to Get The Most Out Of Therapy
This sheet contains information
to help make your treatment rewarding and successful. Please read it carefully and fill in any information
requested. Return it to your therapist at the next session. He or she will be happy
to discuss any questions you may have. HOW CAN I TELL IF THE THERAPY IS HELPING ME? Achieving insight is often a good indicator that therapy is helping you. Being able to better handle
previously difficult situations or changing your behavior are also good indicators. How you feel is often
a good indicator. You can monitor effectiveness of treatment with Self-assessment tests. You
may fill out the Burns Depression checklist, the Burns
Anxiety Inventory and the Relationship Satisfaction Scale. These can show you how your mood and ability to handle stress
changes as a result of therapy. If you wish you can fill out these tests once a week to monitor your progress.
Show the results to your therapist and you can discuss how your scores are changing. Another very effective tool is the patient’s
therapy Session Evaluation. On this form you indicate how helpful the session was and describe
and negative and positive reactions to the session. You can write down highlights of the session as well
as list any self-help assignments for the next session. You can review this form with your therapist at
the beginning of your next session. ***There are times when instead of feeling better, you may feel worse or
that you have started to back slide. This can happen when you are able to see more clearly areas of your
life that you are unhappy with. This will be discussed more fully in the relapse section. HOW LONG DOES
THERAPY LAST AND HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO COME?____________________________________________________How long does therapy last?This really
depends on how much you have going on and how well you are adapting to it now. If you have a lot of goals
it would take longer than someone who had one specific goal to work on. The more motivated you are to work
on your problems, the quicker you will see results. If you have a limited time frame it is good to discuss
this with your therapist and work together to devise a treatment plan. Then you can re-evaluate that plan
and your progress as you come closer to the appointed length of time. How
often do I need to come?This really depends
on your goals and the approach you wish to take with your therapist. Some people prefer to come in when
they need to talk to someone, basically to be heard and validated. Other people prefer a more structured
approach if they have concrete issues they are working on. If you are coming for couples counseling or
individual counseling with a specific focus, you will get a lot more out of therapy if you see your therapist on a very regular
basis. Most people accomplish the most coming in weekly
for some time until they are on track enough to space it out more, generally to every other week. When you have reached your goals you may wish to check in with your therapist
every few months to refresh skills you have learned or for a “ Booster session”. Some patients
like knowing they can come in just to vent when they need to. Therapy is a
commitment to yourself. If you have a specific issue or are doing couples work, you can get done therapy
much quicker by coming in consistently. Especially if finances are a concern, you end up saving a lot in
the long run with consistency. Also be aware that if you are doing couples work that your therapist will
also want to see you and your partner individually as well. 1. Do you have a specific issue you wish to discuss or prefer a less structured approach? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Do you have a time frame or number of sessions in mind of how long therapy should
take? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ - Are you able to come in weekly
or do you prefer as needed? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN I EITHER REACH MY GOALS OR WISH TO STOP THERAPY? At the beginning
of treatment your therapist will determine if you have specific goals and would benefit from a structured program.
As you are working you will be able to review the progress you have made and additional areas you may wish to work
on. You may begin spacing out your sessions to every other or third week. You can discuss
with your therapist when you feel you are happy with your progress and goal attainment. Your therapist can then set up a termination session with you where you will review your
progress and fill out a therapy termination sheet. Here you can write what was most helpful to you and
the progress you made.
This is very helpful for both you and your therapist and serves as a guide to help you maintain the changes you have
made. If you have not reached your goals and wish to end therapy it is still helpful to have a final session
to tie up lose ends and provide you with resources. It is also beneficial in case you wish to re-start
at a later date as you can still review what progress you had made and what goals you may still wish to work on. If you
are doing more of an as needed therapy if you are certain you will not wish to do therapy in the future, a final session is
helpful for the reasons given previously. HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH MY THERAPIST? It is important to feel
that your therapist respects you and understands you. This doesn’t mean that therapy will always
be smooth and free of conflict. Receiving constructive criticism and redirection from your therapist can
be very difficult. Sometimes confrontation from your therapist can be very uncomfortable. If
you prefer for your therapist to only listen to you and not confront self-defeating behaviors please let him or her know.
Discussing negative feelings or uncomfortable topics with your therapist can frequently make therapy
much more effective. The therapeutic Empathy
Scale asks you to indicate how much warmth, trust and understanding you felt from your therapist during your
most recent therapy session. You can also indicate whether you felt the therapist was genuine or condescending.
You can fill out the Empathy scale after any session and show the results to your therapist at the beginning of the
next session. This is particularly helpful to your therapist to receive this feedback if you do not feel
validated or comfortable with how the session went. ** Please remember, we are here for you. It is our goal to help you feel comfortable discussing
any problem or concern with us. WHAT
SHOULD I DO IF I FEEL STUCK OR IF I’M UPSET WITH MY THERAPIST? There
probably will be times when you feel stuck and convinced you aren’t making any progress. You may
get annoyed with something your therapist said or feel they are going in another direction. It
is especially important to discuss if anything bothered you or if you did not feel respected and understood
by your therapist. You may be afraid of conflict or concerned about hurting your therapist’s feelings.
If you do not tell your therapist how you feel, the feelings may sabotage your progress. Talking
gives your therapist an opportunity to modify his or her approach or style with you to help you achieve the greatest level
of success. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I GET TURNED OFF AND DECIDE
TO DROP OUT OF THERAPY BETWEEN SESSIONS? Unfortunately, some people drop out of treatment prematurely
and do not receive the full benefit of treatment. We highly recommend you talk about this with your therapist
and at least schedule a final session to tie up loose ends. Therapy can be painful. It
is hard work. The following are some common reasons why people end therapy prematurely. These
are things to look out for and be aware of. If you are able to overcome these challenges, you are often
able to get an enormous amount out of therapy. Conflict Phobia:
A good relationship with your therapist is crucial to successful treatment. Sometimes
a conflict will come up and you may feel resentful, guilty or mistrustful. Some people avoid conflict and
sweep their feelings under the carpet. If you are aware that you do this be especially mindful in counseling
not to allow this old pattern stop you from receiving the help you deserve. I am willing to commit to
talking with my therapist should this become
a problem. Yes_________________
No________________
Financial Problems:
Therapy can be costly. If the treatment
takes longer than you anticipated or if your insurance reimbursement isn’t satisfactory, you may feel tempted to drop
out of treatment. If the cost of therapy should become an issue please discuss this with your therapist.
There may be some arrangements that can be made to ensure your continued treatment. I
am willing to commit to talking with my therapist should this become a problem.
Yes_________________
No____________
Shame Many people have problems that would be hard to talk about.
These could include sexual difficulties or fantasies, sexual or physical abuse, violent or suicidal impulses, drug
or alcohol abuse, rituals or habits such as binge eating or vomiting, or illegal activities, to name a few. Feelings of shame may
make it hard to open up and discuss these difficulties. You may be afraid that your therapist will judge
you or think less of you. You may have the concern that your therapist will not protect your
confidentiality and will disclose your feelings to other people. You may also feel that if you don’t
talk about your problems, they will go away sooner or later and you won’t have to face them. There
are some issues that may not be relevant to your current treatment. If you have some areas of your past
that are not affecting you in a way you wish to pursue in therapy you do not need to reveal them. Your
therapist may still question about certain areas. You can always choose what you wish to share.
Keep in mind, it may be difficult, however, if it is relevant in any way you may help your treatment even more by choosing
to work on it. MOTIVATION Some people are very motivated to work on their issues and
achieve their goals. Others have mixed feelings about treatment. If you do not feel
motivated to be in therapy or you are only there because someone else wants you to be there, you may want to drop out in between
sessions. There are many reasons that someone might not want to be in therapy. You may feel
skeptical that the therapy could help. You may feel that others are to blame for your problems
and resent the fact that you are being asked to change. You may worry that therapy makes you appear weak
or sick and think that you should be able to work your problems out on your own. You
may be resistant to owning your own part in your problems. How strongly
do you want to be in therapy at this time? 1.
__________Honestly, I don’t feel particularly
motivated to be in therapy right now. 2.
__________I feel somewhat motivated to be in
therapy. 3. __________ I feel moderately motivated to be in therapy. 4. ___________I feel extremely motivated to be in therapy.
HOPELESSNESS Many individuals who suffer
from depression, anxiety, or marital difficulties feel hopeless at times. Your problems may seem overwhelming
and impossible to solve. As you look into the future, everything may look bleak. You
may be tempted to drop out of therapy because you believe that the treatment cannot possibly do any good.
RELAPSE Many patients initially improve and then suddenly sink back
into feelings of depression or anxiety. Sometimes as you are exploring your issues the future may at first
seem bleaker because you are bringing things out into the open. It’s crucial to persist at these
times. Nearly all patients experience these relapses. As you get through this you will
be able to understand how to control your mood more effectively. PREMATURE
RECOVERY Sometimes people feel suddenly better and say to themselves, “Hey,
I feel great. I don’t need any more treatment. “ When this happens, there can be a great benefit
to meeting with your therapist for one final session to review what was helpful, to bring therapy to an appropriate closure
and to make plans in case you need additional sessions in the future. Summary page If you were dissatisfied
with your auto mechanic, you would have every right to stop going to that person and you would have no obligation to explain
why. Therapy is a little different because discussing your negative feelings can be an important part of
the therapeutic process. We respect your right to terminate at any time for any reason, but hope that we
will have a chance to resolve any problems before you finalize your decision. Prior to the
last session, your therapist may ask you to complete a form called the Patients Evaluation of therapy. On
this form, you can indicate what you liked and disliked about the treatment, how much you have improved, and what further
work needs to be done. Reviewing your responses with your therapist during the last session will give you
both a chance to review the therapy and bring the treatment to an appropriate closure. Perhaps
you feel ready to make a commitment to talk things over with your therapist if a problem comes between sessions.
Or perhaps you still feel unsure and need to discuss this issue with your therapist. Which statement
best describes how you feel now? 1.
_____I am willing to make a definite commitment to
speak with my therapist in person during a regularly scheduled therapy session before I make any decision to end therapy. 2. _____ I am not sure whether or not I am wiling to make that commitment. 3.
_____ I am not willing to make that commitment.
I want the right to drop out of treatment at any time for any reason without discussing this decision with my therapist. Keep in mind that it can sometimes be difficult to keep this commitment.
If you feel upset with your therapist, you may have an overwhelming temptation to avoid talking things over face- to
face. It can require determination not to give in to this urge. The benefits of confronting
the problem instead of walking away from it can be considerable.
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