Identifying therapy goals
You made the decision to begin therapy for the first, second, or third time. But what do you hope to get out of it? Try asking yourself these questions:
How do I know that now is the time I want to change?
If I could start with just one thing, what would make the biggest difference?
Some ideas might be:
Get better sleep
Feel more confident communicating
Improving coping with anxious thoughts
Feeling more motivated
Improve confidence in parenting or healthy romantic relationships
Then ask yourself, what is my level of commitment to change? Will I practice new skills I learn in therapy? Can I commit to do more reading or listening to podcasts in between appointments? If there are challenges, such as lacking time to read more, or attending therapy weekly, can I tolerate a slow change process?
It’s hard to know where to start when we feel overwhelmed by several challenges, but try to remind yourself that change takes time and commitment and just beginning therapy gets you on that path. Therapy can give you an opportunity to discuss these fears and gain reflecting skills to notice the incremental changes.
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