Things your therapist might never verbalize

There are a lot of small things that I wished someone had told me before I had taken therapy for the first time. I share with you all those teeny-tiny things here with the hope they help you:

1. Therapy is NOT a quick fix

2. You are NOT weak, if you seek therapy. It shows self-awareness and strength to reach out for support

3. Therapy is for YOU - Therapy is not something done TO you but WITH you

4. Nothing you say or share in therapy can be WRONG - Therapy is most effective when you don't hold yourself back from sharing your feelings

5. You cannot PREPARE for therapy - it is all about you feeling comfortable and going with the flow

6. All your thoughts and feelings matter and are important - Don't worry yourself as to what you're saying might be unimportant or irrelevant

7. You have to take ownership - Therapy is a commitment of time, money and emotions where YOU will need to work on yourself; the therapist cannot do that for you

8. It's very important for you to feel CONNECTED and SAFE with your therapist

9. Therapists are going to help you work things out by understanding yourself and what drives your feelings and emotions. They are NOT going to hand you solutions

10. Therapists are NOT know-it-alls. They can also be wrong and sometimes say the wrong things - Be open with your therapist and let them know if you find something amiss

11. Think of therapy as unpacking your emotional luggage - things will be a mess before you can organize them

12. Therapists are there to hold you emotionally and not judge you - DON'T hold back your feelings and make full disclosure

13. Therapy is not a CURE - it will heal you and make you better at handling life over a period of time

14. Have patience - Therapy generally takes time to start having a perceivable impact

15. If therapy starts feeling pointless or you don't want to be in therapy anymore, discuss it with your therapist - There is likely has much more going on beneath the surface