Psychotherapy involves talking with a trained professional, in this case, a psychotherapist, about one’s problems that they are unable to cope with on their own and which have a negative impact on their life. It is a process that can be helpful with the right motivation for change, as it activates fundamental human abilities such as self-reflection, creating new meanings, planning, self-care, and, above all, the courage to take action.
The outcomes that can be achieved during and after therapy can be divided into three main categories:
- Resolution of the fundamental problem in life that affects well-being. Solving major problems involves understanding or seeing the existing problem from a different perspective, achieving acceptance, and finding the right path and way to improve the current situation.
- Learning. Therapy helps us acquire new interpersonal skills and strategies that enable us to view situations differently and cope with similar problems in the future.
- Engagement in social relationships. Therapy often leads to a significant increase in energy and personal capabilities, resulting in building self-confidence and developing habits that lead to improved relationships with others. During therapy, individuals with difficulties in expressing their own views have a therapist who understands and accepts them.
Moreover, during therapy, individuals seeking help from a therapist can achieve other positive aspects mentioned below, significantly improving their quality of life. These include:
- Reduction of symptoms of disorders with which the person seeks help, such as depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessive-compulsive behaviours, sleep problems, sexual issues, and many other disorders they cannot handle independently. In most cases, these symptoms are often ignored, leading to their intensification, often resulting in more serious disorders, even suicide attempts.
- Self-awareness is a skill that individuals often learn, usually with the help of someone else, in this case, a psychologist or psychotherapist. Self-awareness is crucial for understanding oneself better, discovering one’s most hidden desires, ambitions, motives, and possibilities. It is a fundamental condition for proper self-realisation in life.
- Building relationships with others, gaining skills in forming and creating meaningful, satisfying relationships, both personal and professional. Through therapy, individuals often learn to accept similarities and differences among others and develop a tolerance for themselves and others.
- Finding meaning in life, discovering a purpose for living. Individuals undergoing therapy discover their goals, find motivation for change, and direct themselves accordingly to what they desire to achieve in life.
- Psychoeducation involves finding appropriate ideas and techniques for dealing with possible random events and problems. Psychoeducation reduces the likelihood of relapse of previous issues or disorders, improves the quality of life, and enhances social competence.
- Self-awareness is being more mindful of one’s thoughts and feelings that have been, to some extent, blocked or rejected, as well as achieving a more precise perception of how one is perceived by others.
- Self-acceptance. True self-acceptance means being aware of both one’s positive and negative qualities without attaching negative emotions or judgment to who one is. It means being objective about one’s strengths and weaknesses. Achieving self-acceptance also brings other benefits, such as the ability to take risks without worrying about the outcome, reduced fear of failure, and living a more authentic life where one lives for oneself and not for others.
However, it is worth mentioning a few factors that increase the chances that therapy will be effective and helpful. The most important ones are:
- Establishing a proper and strong bond with the therapist.
- Collaboratively setting goals.
- Engaging in the therapeutic process.
Research has shown that all these factors contribute to more effective and efficient therapy. They are also indicators of the progress of your therapy. If you have already had several sessions and cannot confidently say that the above factors exist, it may be necessary to make some changes. Perhaps the therapist is not the right fit for you, or you need greater clarity regarding the treatment plan.
Any properly conducted therapy can be effective, but there is no magic in it. However, based on scientific research, these factors contribute to leading us toward positive therapeutic experiences and also shorten the time needed to improve our well-being.