Therapy is one of the core components of any treatment and recovery program. Different kinds of therapy might apply across many therapy sessions. Generally, therapy offered in treatment is talk therapy, sprinkled with other methods. Your time in treatment and therapy is special. What happens in therapy helps guide and transform your recovery. If you are not taking therapy as seriously as you should, you are watching precious clinical time to by that could help you heal in mind, body, and spirit.
You come in without anything to talk about: Every therapy session isn’t going to be bubbling with updates or full of excavating journeys into the deepest layers of your mind. Traditional therapy uses talking to explore what is going on in your life, what you are having issues with, and discover the root wherever possible. Coming in session after session without anything to talk about or areas that you want to explore is a sign you aren’t taking your opportunity at therapy seriously. Underneath, you may be feeling fear, insecurity, or shame about what you really want to discuss. Eventually, that will be a good thing to discuss in itself.You avoid talking about difficult subjects: Your therapist will never force you to go anywhere in therapy that you do not want to go or you are not ready to go. Your therapist will, however, encourage you to think about why you don’t want to head in a certain direction and what the benefit might be if you did. Therapy is not always easy and some sessions are painfully powerful. If you are avoiding the more difficult work more often, you might be missing out on the potential therapy has for you.You say you’re “fine”: You might be fine. You might be really fine. Or, you might be as far away from “fine” as you could be. When you offer up “fine” instead of an honest answer about your true emotional state or experience, you are holding yourself back from utilizing your time in therapy well.You don’t follow your therapist’s “suggestions”: Therapist’s aren’t meant to give you advice or tell you what to do. They will use terms like “I think that would be best” or “I encourage you to consider doing this”. Your therapist may instruct you to buy a certain book or look into a certain subject. Typically, your therapist knows best. If they are making a “suggestion” to you, it is because they can see how it will guide your therapy and benefit you in the long run.