One of the most helpful things about psychotherapy is the hope it can bring. So many men and women in my clinical practice have said they felt better after our first meeting, even though nothing in their lives had really changed. Most of the time, they described feeling more hopeful that the issues they brought to therapy could improve.
Just as hope can be buoying, disappointed hope can be deflating. What is realistic to expect from therapy? We can’t know what any individual will take from it, but the following are common benefits.
✅ Self-Knowledge
A skilled therapist can help you discover aspects of yourself that you might not be aware of. They can also help you recognize how your thought patterns contribute to your struggles, or how your present-day reactions to certain people resemble some of your earliest relationships. These kinds of insights can help you make important changes in your life.
✅ Emotion Regulation
Many therapies can help you gain more control over how you handle emotions. You can learn how to tame anxiety, for example, or channel anger in more effective ways.
✅ Validation
Most therapists are empathic and affirming toward the people they work with. Even if you’re confused or dismayed by the things you feel and do, a therapist can help you see that your thoughts, feelings, and actions make sense given your........