For many people, the thought of going to a therapist is daunting. First, there is the thought of being labeled. Also, many people find it scary because they do not know what to expect. However, studies have shown that therapy can be a very useful tool for people looking for stress and anxiety management.
The first thing to keep in mind is what the therapist does. At your first meeting, they will just ask you a bunch of questions so that they can understand you. This is not a matter of judgment, rather they are trying to understand what you are dealing with as well as who you are as a person. This will help them come up with the right plan of action. By the end of the session, they should be able to discuss with you how the following sessions will go and what you can expect.
As you continue to go, you will find that the therapist will help you to discover what the root causes of your stress and anxiety are. They can also help you find ways to minimize them. This can be in many forms, such as changing your thought patterns when something happens, teaching you how to deal with situations that trigger the stress and anxiety, and much more. There are many tools in the therapy arsenal, so if one does not work for you, there are many others you can try with your therapist.
Your therapist will also help keep you on track. When you go, you will discuss with them what happened since your last appointment and how you have handled things. This may be where you find that certain things do not work for you or need to be tweaked to work in a way that fits you.
Another concern many people have who are not familiar with therapy is that they will be in therapy forever, as their therapist will want to milk them for money. This is not what a good or ethical therapist will do. Their goal is to go from finding the right solutions to guiding you to handle your situations. Once they see that you are able to handle things on your own, they should let you know, so that you can end care. This does not mean you can never come back. Things in life can change at any time, and you may find that you need their guidance once again.
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