The First Session: Meeting With Licensed Mental Health Providers
The first session with your therapist is usually the icebreaker, but is still an important first step for effective therapy services. You talk about yourself, your problems, and what you want out of the online therapy session. The therapist, over time, will teach you in online therapy how to handle your problems by coming up with a plan. For example, with CBT, there may be exercises that are given to you to help you think more positively that other licensed therapists frequently recommend to help people. Your therapist may also offer behavioral therapy, which can help people gain insight into why they think the way that they do and help foster change.
How Long Before I Can See Results From Online Therapy?
One thing you should expect from online therapy, and couples therapy, faithful therapy, teen therapy, and therapy in general, is that results are not instant with these mental health services. It may take months for your therapy to be effective. The therapist online that you work with can't force you to do anything but instead offers suggestions and strategies.
Will The Psychotherapy Process Vary For Different People?
If you do not see improvement from certain therapeutic approaches, licensed mental health providers will try different methods to find the right fit for you. Often, everyone's solution is a little different (even in online therapy), and the therapist will work diligently to find the best solution for the job. An effective therapist (and good therapists or good licensed mental health providers in general) will often think outside the box if needed.
What If The Online Counselor's Personality Doesn't Fit With Mine?
Your sessions in online therapy are meant for you to deepen your understanding of yourself and what you need to create a healthy, fulfilling life (or process and recover from any mental health issues). If you do not feel comfortable opening up to your therapist during your online therapy session because they're not the right fit for you, do not worry. That is completely valid. At BetterHelp, if you request a different therapist, we will rematch you as soon as possible.
What Are Common Methods That Licensed Mental Health Providers Use?
Licensed mental health providers (including psychologists, therapists, and counselors) typically employ the following techniques during online therapy, or in-person therapy: cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and humanistic therapy. Ask questions and find out what your potential therapist may offer.
What Is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is widely recognized as a powerful therapeutic treatment option for a wide range of mental health issues, including depression, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias. CBT enables people to reframe their negative, destructive thoughts into empowering thoughts. This reframing leads to positive emotions and behaviors in situations that previously would have provoked the cycle of negative thoughts.
Psychodynamic therapy explores how past experiences affect your current feelings and decisions. By uncovering how you may have learned to protect yourself in the past (whether knowingly or unknowingly), you become more aware of your tendencies. This makes it easier to approach decisions rationally, instead of from a place of automatic reactions.
What Is Humanistic Therapy?
Humanistic therapy focuses on how your perceptions influence the decisions you make. Humanistic therapists aim to offer support by understanding your past experiences, and operate on the assumption that you are the expert of your own needs.
