How To Organize Your Time With Your Therapist
If you are having any mental health issues or experiencing stress that you are having a hard time dealing with, chances are good that you have been referred to a therapist. A therapist is great because it is very easy for you to get all of your thoughts and feelings out to this nonjudgmental person so that you are able to process them more fully. You want to be sure that you make the most of your time with your therapist. Here are some tips for organizing that time.
1. Write Down Everything That's Bothering You
First, write down everything that you want to talk about that's bothering you. You might be stressed out about your job, unhappy with some of the thoughts that you are having about your children, or having relationship problems with a neighbor. There might be a lot of things that you need to talk about, but you want to be sure that you organize your time with your therapist because you're probably not going to have enough to fully process everything.
2. Let Your Emotions Help You Sort the List in Terms of Importance
Then, sort the list in descending order. You might be upset about everything that is listed above, but it might do you the most good to try to process and resolve your issues with your job because that's where you're spending most of your day. Since you only see your neighbor once a week, this might not be as much of a priority. Allow your emotions to order the list in terms of importance.
3. Determine What Your Therapist Can Reasonably Help You Do
Then, turn to reason to try to determine what you can actually do in the meeting. If you just need to vent about work, your therapist is the perfect person to do this. If you need to brainstorm different careers that you could move into because you hate your job, your therapist can help you do that. If you need someone to give you a great deal of money in order to change jobs, your therapist will not be able to help with that. Try to figure out what your therapist can realistically help you solve. Talk to your therapist if you are torn between two different issues because he or she might have insight about which is more important and which is a better use of your time.
For more information, talk to a local therapist that specializes in counseling (such as Michael Lynch Ph.D.).
Share