When it comes to your therapy appointment, no topic is off-limits or taboo. You should note this from the get-go when considering what to talk about in therapy.
Therapy is where you open up to reveal the true you, the uncensored version of your real self without trepidation or fear of judgment.
Cast aside your professional persona or whatever mask you wear in public. Bring just your true self to the therapy room, no one else.
Therapists are trained to offer sincere heartfelt assistance with full professionalism, minus the judgment. So embrace the real you, open up, and pour your heart out.
But of course, there is only so much time in a therapy session. Hence, you must prioritize your most critical issues in order of importance.
So what are the things to talk about in therapy? Before getting into it all, you should first know the rules and norms of therapy.
Therapy – the Safe, Friendly, and Caring Environment You Need
The good news is that many societal rules and norms – that are often stifling – are relaxed in a therapy session.
Therapy rooms are safe havens for nonjudgemental conversation where you can expect 100% respect, compassion, and empathy. This is exactly what you need when discussing the most personal issues that you are afraid to share with anyone else.
This matters a lot since we are surrounded by not-so-kind people who will not hesitate to judge you negatively given the slightest pretext.
In “normal” conversations, there are many things to take care of like restraining emotions, putting up a suave demeanor, appearing (or at least pretending) to be in full control, and keeping up appearances. Thankfully, during therapy sessions, it’s ok to shed these stifling restrictions and truly open up.
People don’t want you to vent, rage, and rant about your personal issues. Therapists stand ready for all this and more. So don’t feel shy.
Self-pity is a big no-no anywhere you go. However, therapists are the most compassionate people you will find. So feel free to lament over your situation. It’s ok.
If you get too deep about your issues, you are branded a “negative” person, a “grouch”, or worse, an “energy vampire” who mentally drains others with constant griping. People are ruthless about avoiding such individuals. But not therapists.
TMI or “too much information” is deeply frowned upon. People want to steer clear of anything that makes them feel uncomfortable or awkward. So whether it’s your bedroom frustrations, bodily problems, mental issues, fiscal crisis, or job woes, they want none of that. However, the situation is reversed with therapists. For these folks, there is no such thing as TMI. They want MORE information, not less. This way, they can diagnose your condition accurately, understand you better, and get the full picture. They can thus offer better advice and make a more relevant plan for you.
What to Talk About in Therapy
With this in mind, you can contemplate what to talk about in therapy.
Here are some good questions you can discuss in your therapy appointment.
- Why am I even here at therapy to begin with?
- Do I have objective goals and am I getting closer to them?
- What is stopping me from becoming successful and happy?
- Is there something I want to accomplish that isn’t happening?
- Did anything happen recently that evoked strong emotions? If yes, what?
- Is there something from the past that I keep thinking about? How do I feel when I recall such things?
- Do I have to cope with mental health issues and symptoms? If so, then are these issues and symptoms getting better or deteriorating?
- Am I satisfied with my job? Would I rather be doing another job?
- What are my relationships like? Are they good overall or not? What is the common pattern for most relationships?
- Are my pastimes and hobbies fulfilling? Am I passionate about them? What do they tell about me as a person and do they bring meaning to my life?
- Is my life fulfilling and meaningful? What is my vision for life? Am I working towards a higher cause or something better besides just the daily grind?
- Has a recent problem negatively impacted my life? If yes, how am I coping? Can I handle this problem in a better way and resolve it?
- What is my life story? What do I want it to be like? Am I successful in life? Should I bring radical new change to my life? If so, what and why?
- Am I following all the advice my therapist gave me? What are the results of following this advice? Is it improving my life and bringing positive change? If not, why?
- Is there any recommendation from the therapist that I am not following? If yes, why?
- Do I feel better after the therapy session?
- Is there anything else that the therapist should understand about me?
- Did I have any vivid dreams of late?
- What is it that I don’t like to talk about? Can I inform the therapist about this?
Asking the Right Questions – the Upshots
Asking the aforementioned questions is a great way to kickstart the therapy session. These thought-provoking questions help you avoid mental blocks that get in the way of a fruitful discussion.
Answering these questions can give deeper insights into your character. They can also help you pinpoint further topics of discussion for the next session.
Making Therapy Work for You
Be your authentic self at all times during the therapy session. Thankfully, people-pleasing is not required in the therapy room.
So don’t try to be perfect or go out of your way to please your therapist. If you don’t feel better following the therapy, mention this to the therapist. Don’t feel compelled to say you are satisfied when you aren’t.
How you feel subsequent to a therapy session can vary greatly. For some, you may not feel as good. But for others, you will feel way better. Some sessions will certainly be better than the rest on average. Not all sessions will be the same.
It’s important to focus on what you want to change. You may want to improve symptoms, thoughts, beliefs, behavior, or habits. Or it could be much deeper than that. Maybe you want to change your worldview. Or your entire life.
If therapy does not feel all that meaningful, then reconsider what you are doing therapy for and focus on it.
Feel free to inform your therapist about any change no matter how big or small. If the change you want is not happening, then don’t keep it to yourself and get frustrated in the process. Rather, disclose this fearlessly to your therapist. During the course of the discussion, you may find out why things are not working and what needs to be done about it.
Positive Change with Therapy
Many newcomers to therapy feel skeptical about how simply talking can achieve anything substantial. However, experienced therapists and savvy clients alike know that talking is the first step towards dealing with emotions that are holding you back.
Talking about your emotions can make you more intentional about dealing with them more effectively. Explaining your feelings to someone else is a great way to manage your emotions more effectively.
External accountability is also another powerful intervention that can make you more serious about achieving your goals. The reason why it’s so effective is because we don’t want to look bad in front of others. Hence, we go the extra mile when under scrutiny from others. This is one reason why therapy works so well – it has external accountability.
Bottom Line
You are now aware of the things to talk about in therapy. These can serve you well in your next therapy appointment.
No matter what you have in mind, we are ready to talk with the utmost respect, the deepest care, and the highest professionalism. We are pleased to have improved the lives of thousands of clients.
Book Your Therapy Appointment At : The Healing Light Therapy