Therapy is often hyped up as the ultimate fix for any mental health concern.
Maybe that emotionalbreakthrough moment(like inGood Will Hunting)never happened.
Or even after opening up, you still feel as if youve made zero progress.
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You havent found the most helpfultypeof therapy.
But, as youve probably figured out by now, its not that simple…or straightforward.
For instance, exposure therapy tends to be the go-to for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
(After all, theyre trained to know about the differences and recommend whats best for you.)
You didnt see the right therapist.
On that note, modality isnt the only thing that influences a positive match.
According to Boykin,finding a good therapistis kind of like dating.
Just because it didnt work once doesnt mean relationships generally arent for you.
Without that rapport, both experts agree it can be tough to be comfortably you.
There are a few reasons you could be holding back, whether you realize it or not.
Perhaps you dont know how to put complex feelings into words.
Or shame is whats stopping you from owning the unhealthy patterns you want to change.
Youre not consistent or committed to the process.
Theres no right or wrong frequency for how often someone should go to therapy.
But consistency does matter if you want to see real progress.
Otherwise, Youre never really developing momentum and building the rapport necessary to make it effective.
Without that, its easy to feel stuck or disconnected, like youre not really getting anywhere.
Youre expecting instant, permanent results.
For starters, simply building a relationship and trust with a provider takes time, Dr. Dortch points out.
Even then, you might not feel a huge change the way you were expecting.
I always say progress is like falling asleep, Boykin says.
So if therapy is something youre still open to exploring, dont let past failed attempts dishearten you.
Just because it didnt click right away doesnt mean itcant.
And if it turns out that this brand of mental health care isnt for you?
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