What happens in therapy?

You have been struggling through stress, anxiety, sadness or depression.  You are ready for help.  You have noticed some patterns that seem to happen over and over, and you want to break the cycle that you are on.  You are ready to get off of the ride, you want help.  You have made your way to this blog site, but are worried about what you can expect from your first therapy appointment.  What can happens in counseling anyway?  In this article, we will explore what you can expect as you embark on your change journey.

Your counseling experience should be caring and safe
Your counselor should create a caring and safe environment that enables you to open up and process some of your challenges.  They should validate you and your perspective while offering help to support you to move from habits or behaviors where you are stuck.  You can expect to form a bond with your therapist, known as the therapeutic alliance, where you feel accepted and unconditionally regarded by them. Your counselor will help you explore your childhood and raise awareness of patterns of thought that occur for you.  They will help you identify areas that you are stuck in and challenge you to change and grow.

Your counselor should offer a new perspective
Your therapist will create a non-judgmental space for you to explore yourself.  Through this process, they will be fully attentive to you and will reflect back what they learn, both verbally and non-verbally.  The should offer you a different perspective than yours and even gently point out any areas that you are unable to see.  

Get ready for change
You are searching for counseling because you are ready to get help and begin your change journey.  You counselor will begin to notice things that maybe you do not even know about yourself.  They will use this knowledge to caringly challenge you when appropriate to help you achieve the change that you desire.

Do you live in Austin and are you ready to move forward?
We are compassionate licensed counselors ready to create the environment for you that we just listed above.  Call us at 512-676-5813 for a free phone consultation to see if we are a fit, or fill out our online form located here.