Everything You Should Know About Individual Therapy

Psychotherapy has changed dramatically over the years.  When you say you want to see a psychologist today, you will not be led to sit on a leather couch and be intimidated by a series of questions.  Gone are the days when questioning by a psychologist will not even provide insight into your present psychological condition.

Individual therapy  is implemented by a trained professional, usually a therapist or psychologist, to help you work through your problem.  It is implemented in a variety of ways depending on your experiences, personal beliefs, needs, and the practices of your therapist.

What Happens During Individual Therapy?

Individual therapy will take several sessions, depending on your therapist.  The length varies widely. Generally, a minimum of eight sessions is needed to make sure all aspects of the illness have been addressed.

Your therapist will make you come back for follow up sessions after one month, six months, and 12 months to make sure that you are getting better.

The first session will typically involve questions that will allow your therapist to get to know you.  You will not be pushed to delve into private matters but you will have to provide the information needed to determine a course of treatment.

Here are important steps that you can expect in individual therapy:

• You and your psychologist develop an awareness of the situation
• You work together to determine why the problem is present
• Your psychologist will assess the problem and decide the best plan of action
• Your psychologist directs the sessions but you are the one in control
• If you feel that the therapy should take a different action, discuss it with your psychologist
• Your psychologist will select the best program that will best suit your needs and will be very responsive to any feedback that you have

How Individual Therapy Can Help You

As you seek help from your psychologist with personal problems, you will be asked to develop specific goals for your therapy.  These goals will help you keep focused and consistent with the therapy while helping you remember to keep visualizing yourself overcoming your difficulty.  A good individual therapist in New York (if you are living in this area) can help you achieve the following goals:

1.  Identify coping strategies that have helped you in the past.  You will learn how to adapt these strategies to your current situation.  If you have experienced failure with these coping strategies before, your therapist will guide you in developing new ones.
2. Rearrange life priorities and rid yourself of irrational expectations for yourself and others to avoid unnecessary stress.
3. Focus on meaningful pursuits that will redirect your focus and realign your goals.  These pursuits can prevent you from negative thoughts and feelings.
4. Identify personal strengths to boost your morale and help you rediscover and bring out those strengths.

Some people are hesitant to seek medical help from a psychologist because of a stigma about mental illness.  But, if you are experiencing any of these common issues, individual therapy will be beneficial for you:

• Extreme emotions like sadness or anger
• Recent trauma, such as the death of a loved one or divorce
• Substance abuse
• Problems at work
• Loss of enjoyment of activities
• Strained family and/or personal relationships
• Concern from friends or family

Approaches in Individual Therapy

There are many forms of therapy that can be used in the approach of individual therapy.  Your psychologist can use one approach only or combine it with other processes that will work best for you so that your needs will be properly addressed.

The most common and effective psychotherapy methods used include (but are not limited to):

1. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for replacing negative thinking patterns with positive ones
2. Dialectical behavioral therapy to help cope with stress, improve emotional regulation, and work on relationships
3. Interpersonal psychotherapy can help build relationship skills
4. Acceptance and commitment therapy to help increase awareness of thoughts and emotions
5. Psychodynamic therapy to help people understand unconscious experiences and how they affect behavior

Finding the Right Therapist

Individual therapy will not guarantee that your condition will be cured but it will be able to help you develop healthy coping skills.  If you are determined to be active in therapy, you and your therapist will be able to meet your therapeutic goals and foster a positive therapeutic relationship.  

Hence, it is imperative that you find the right therapist who will guide you through your treatment process.  Find a therapist you are comfortable with and cooperate so that you will get the most out of your individual therapy sessions.