The difference between a good ol’ fashioned chat and evidenced based care.
We all have times that we feel like we need to talk through situations and problems with others. The question is – when is chatting with a friend or family member enough and when do you need more support? Is there really a difference between venting and chatting with those we love and a therapy session with a trained professional?
We see the value of and encourage you to live in community. Having authentic conversations with those in your life is an important part of processing things in a healthy way. However, we believe that social sessions are more suited for situational challenges rather than ongoing struggles – while therapy sessions are helpful to equip you in overcoming your ongoing struggles.
So … how does a therapy session differ from a social session? At reTHINK Therapy, we feel that there are three necessary criteria that differentiate therapy sessions with a professional and “therapy” sessions with your friends and family.
- Your sessions start and end with direction. We believe that therapy should give you a clear understanding and direction of your therapy goals. We want to work with you to create realistic and attainable goals that help better your life and life experiences. In an evidence based therapy session, we believe that the undertone of your goals being met is necessary to be carried throughout your sessions. Every session is a step in helping you achieve the goals that you and your therapist set out for your therapy experience.
- Your therapist helps to provide you with a clear treatment plan. Therapy sessions should help you to clearly see the goals that you want to create and develop an understanding of when you achieve those goals. We believe that this is two fold – with your therapist giving you clarity in both timeframe and personal therapy goals.
- Timeframes. We feel that for you to get the most out of your therapy sessions, it is necessary for you to KNOW what your treatment plan is. It can be unnerving to feel like you don’t know what the plan is. We believe that you should be clear on how frequently you should be coming to session to optimize your treatment. Research shows that individuals that attend therapy sessions weekly were 25% more likely to have reduced negative symptoms from the reasons that they began therapy. These studies also showed that three years later, the individuals who attended therapy sessions weekly were significantly more likely to still have their symptoms under control and no longer need therapy when compared to their counterparts who attended sessions biweekly or monthly. For this reason, at reTHINK Therapy, we regularly recommend weekly sessions. We reserve bi-weekly sessions for individuals that are prepared to “pull back” on their therapy work, and we believe that monthly sessions are best suited for individuals who exclusively need maintenance work.
- Goals. Sometimes, you don’t know EXACTLY why you are feeling the way that you are or how to help with those feelings. This is where you will see a real difference between talking with your friends and family compared to an evidence based therapy session. Your therapist should help you identify and explore the target areas that you feel you need to address and when you have met them. After a few months of weekly sessions, you should know your trigger points and have a few tools to better handle them.
- Your therapist should communicate when sessions are no longer necessary. When you think about stopping therapy – we don’t want you to think that this is a bad thing. The whole goal here is to spread your wings and be able to fly on your own, using the tools that your therapist helps you learn and develop. Asking “How will we know when we are done?” is an encouraged clarifying question! This informs both you and the therapists of strengths and weaknesses that may need to be addressed throughout your sessions. Discharge eventually happens for everyone – it is important to know so that you can plan and aim for it! What we don’t want to happen is for sessions to end without a plan or direction.
These three areas are distinctly different than what you will experience within a social session. Social sessions are great for situational issues where we just need to talk through or vent about what’s happening in our lives. Therapy sessions will help you create solutions and goals with a long term view, including a discharge plan when you meet these goals. Do you need help that requires more than just a social session with your friends and family? Our trained therapists are here to help support you, click here to schedule your first session!