If you have been taking medication for years, without obvious psychological improvement, then you probably need a second opinion.

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If you have been undergoing psychotherapy for months and years, without obvious improvement or effective solution, then probably this therapy is not working for you. Or may be you have created dependence on the therapist, and you have lost the focus and the purpose that put you into therapy.

 

A good therapy is when the first session significantly changes your perspective, and the consecutive sessions bring positive changes in your thoughts about the problem.

 

Therapy is a focused travel to where you want to be, therapy is different with different people. There is no unique way of therapy that can be applied to all. Every case needs solution focused strategies.

 

An unproductive therapy can be caused by wrong diagnosis, wrong method, limited range of therapeutic tools, and uncomfortable therapeutic relationship between client and therapist.

 

Money is a big issue in therapy, sometimes therapist choice is based only on price convenience.  Therapy is about self care, it needs to be a priority, putting wellbeing above other needs. 

 

Time is another issue. Devoting time to therapy and sticking to a regular schedule is important, inconsistent attendance to therapy is waste of time and resources. The frequency of sessions depends on the intensity of the case, some need weekly sessions, every two or three weeks is ok for others. Rarely,  one may need twice a week sessions.   Therapy also happens in between sessions, the therapist must be available for urgent matters outside the therapeutic session.

 

 

Indicators of good therapy are:

1- the big impact of the first meeting regarding the understanding of the problem

2- the speed of the therapeutic progress as of the first two-three sessions

3- enthusiasm waiting for the next step forward towards the solution

4- not sinking into therapy and becoming therapist dependent

5- not losing focus away from your goal

6- feeling protected, supported, understood and gently pushed forward