What to Expect When You Start Therapy
People usually experience a mixture of feelings about starting a therapy journey. You might be excited and feel impatient to get started, or you might find it daunting and quite anxiety-inducing because you don’t really know what to expect.
Hopefully, I can alleviate some of the uncertainty by telling you a bit more about what you can expect from therapy with me.
Firstly, it’s my job to help put you at ease right from the start.
You can be assured that as your therapist, I will guide the conversation when necessary and help you navigate your therapy journey. You can expect me to be as jargon-free as possible, professional yet down-to-earth, genuine, and approachable. I’m certainly not overly formal in my approach, and often clients remark how relieved they are when they realise how ‘normal’ I am and how easy to talk to.
Assessment stage; this is where we get to know each other.
I use my years of experience and training to ask you questions that will help gather relevant information about where people-pleasing has come from, how people-pleasing is causing you difficulties, and how these difficulties are impacting what you do or don’t do in life.
Goals
Don’t worry if you’re not sure how you want life to be; it might be easier to consider how you DON’T want life to be. I’m here to guide you and help you identify what we want to focus therapy on.
Individualised Therapy Plan
I will reflect on what we have covered and the connections I have made about what you are experiencing and I’ll talk you through the therapy plan.
Increasing Your Understanding
I will explain your people-pleasing and related difficulties in a way that makes sense to you, helping you make connections, increase your understanding, and gain clarity. You will start recognising WHY and WHAT is keeping you stuck in unhelpful patterns of behavior and thought processes.
Addressing The Root Cause
My core trainings are CBT, Schema Therapy, and EMDR – this means I am well experienced in addressing the root cause of your difficulties as well as using effective ways to help you implement manageable changes in your daily life to break free from the people-pleasing cycle. I will integrate elements of different therapy approaches that best meet your needs.
I will do my utmost to help you feel comfortable and able to express and process your emotions. I’m here to support you in exploring and making sense of your feelings, using evidence-based interventions to facilitate this process.
Helpful Coping Strategies
Depending on your goals and difficulties, you may be taught coping skills to help manage stress and anxiety. These skills can empower you to navigate life's challenges more effectively. You might learn structured strategies to challenge unhelpful beliefs, thought patterns, or behaviors that contribute to your distress. I will gently guide you toward more helpful ways of thinking and behaving.
Time for Reflections & Insights & Acceptance
It’s helpful if you are able to prioritise therapy as much as possible (although I realise prioritising something for yourself is a challenge in itself for us people-pleasers!).
We might agree on certain tasks or strategies for you to implement after sessions to reinforce learning and practice new skills outside of the therapy room. We will review your progress throughout.
You may experience light bulb moments along the way and witness big shifts in your mindset; however, change may also be subtle and gradual and at times feel slow.
As you engage in therapy, you will learn more about yourself, uncover new insights, and develop greater self-awareness and acceptance.
Cheering You On! (but not in an overbearing way!)
Ultimately, I am your cheerleader along the way, helping you uncover the root cause of your people-pleasing difficulties and supporting you as we address them.
I want you to feel encouraged and empowered to finally make space for yourself and start living life more authentically.
Last Thoughts
Remember, everyone's therapy journey is unique, and the experience may vary depending on your individual needs, goals, and preferences.
The important thing is to have an open mind and a willingness to engage actively in the process.
With dedication, patience, and my expertise and support, therapy can be a truly transformative experience.
If you want to find out more have a read of my approach or book straight in for a free initial call.
