Going to your first therapy appointment can be scary and it can make you very nervous. You may wonder if you’re taking the right step, if you will like your therapist, if the therapist any good, or what happens in therapy? Going to a counselor for the first time isn’t easy, and it doesn’t get any easier even when you return to therapy while in recovery. It’s a huge step forward.
Therapy is sitting down with a total stranger to ask for help. Your therapist must make you feel comfortable, gain your trust, and find ways to treat you. You must learn to trust your counselor and find the strength to bare your soul to him or her. Once you feel comfortable with your therapist and he or she gains your trust, you have to tell them everything, even your deepest secrets. If you don’t, he or she can’t help you.
Through the years I have had several therapists. My first therapist told me I was injuring myself to hurt others, and I came home from therapy in tears. I once had a therapist who told me to think happy thoughts and I would feel better. I had another therapist who was very nice but talked a lot about herself. Those were bad therapists, but not all therapists are bad. If you feel uncomfortable with your therapist, or if he or she gives you bad advice or makes you feel worse, then look for another one. Don’t give up.
My favorite therapist was Linda. I came to her after my ex-boyfriend threw me out and I was hospitalized. My whole world seemed to have collapsed before me. I had nothing to hold onto. I was injuring, suicidal, and very depressed. At my first appointment with Linda, she introduced herself and brought me to her office. From the moment I entered her office I felt comfortable. She asked me questions about my illness, about my life, and about my family. I told her about my ex, my loss of friends, my feelings, and a little bit about me with tear filled eyes. Linda had a special way that made it easy to talk to her. It didn’t take long for me to trust her. She incorporated my ability to write into my therapy, she gave me homework, she listened caringly, and she helped me reach recovery.
Last Thursday I returned to therapy after several years without. I should have been a pro at it after years of therapy, but I was still nervous. I desperately wished I could see Linda again, but she changed job sites. I started new with a stranger. Before my appointment, my stomach twisted and my nerves were on edge. Questions filled my head: Will she be good? Can I trust her? Will I feel comfortable with her?
When I got to her office, I filled out some paperwork, and then she took me back to a room. Once we sat down, she asked me to tell her about myself. I told her about my mental health history, about my husband, and about my writing. I even told her about working for One Life Project. She asked me about the people in my life like family and friends. I found out she was recovering from breast cancer, and I told her about my journey with cancer. She said, “We were sisters.” I also found out she was a dog lover like me, and her dogs often come to the office with her.
I felt comfortable with her right away. Talking to her came easily. The hour went by quickly. When she asked if I wanted to come back, I agreed. She told me to think about what I would like to work on with her, and at the next appointment she’ll come up with a treatment plan. I had nothing to be nervous about.
Going to therapy this time is different. I’m not going because I’m very sick. I’m going to make sure I stay in recovery while dealing with my husband’s illness and to find coping techniques. I’ve come a long way since the first time I started therapy way back when I was in college, but staring therapy again was still a bit scary. It’s not easy to start over again with a stranger, but I’m doing it.
Therapy may be scary and nerve wracking but it’s worth it. Asking for help and getting it is the first step towards recovery. You may feel comfortable with your therapist right away or it may take time. Then there’s the chance you don’t feel comfortable with your counselor at all. Don’t give up on therapy. If you don’t like your therapist, keep searching until you find the one that you feel comfortable with.
Because I went back to therapy I am working on keeping myself from slipping down that hole again, and this helps me hold onto the light of recovery.
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