One major study showed that 50 percent of patients noticeably improved after eight sessions, while 75 percent of individuals in therapy improved by the end of 6 months. As you begin therapy, you should establish clear goals with your psychologist. You might be trying to overcome feelings of hopelessness associated with depression or control a fear that is disrupting your daily life. Remember, certain goals require more time to reach than others. You and your psychologist should decide at what point you may expect to begin to see progress.
People often feel a wide variety of emotions during psychotherapy.
Some qualms about therapy that people may have result from their having difficulty discussing painful and troubling experiences. When you begin to feel relief or hope, it can actually be a positive sign indicating that you are starting to explore your thoughts and behavior. He has been drinking heavily and is getting into more arguments with his wife. Once the contributing factors that may have led to the man's increase in stress have been examined, the psychologist and the man will design a treatment that addresses the identified problems and issues. The psychologist will help the client evaluate how he coped with, and what he learned from any earlier experiences he had with a similar problem that might be useful for dealing with the current situation.