What to Expect from Therapy in Austin, TX
You’re done struggling with the stuff that’s been dragging you down for too long. Anxiety. Depression. Stress. Grief. Burnout.
Life in Austin, TX can be great, but these things have put a serious dent in your pursuit of happiness. So you’ve decided you’re not going it alone anymore…though you’re wondering what to expect from the therapy adventure ahead.
I provide therapy in Austin, TX and can help guide you through the mystery so you won’t have to worry about the unknown. Walking through that door into your therapist’s office (whether it’s real or a virtual one) can take courage, and knowing what’s going to happen inside will prepare you for a successful experience.
Starting a Relationship with a Therapist in Austin, TX Can Bring Up Lots of Feelings
Keep in mind that any new relationship can bring up feelings of fear and worry. Will this other person like me? Will this individual think I’m weird? What if they think I’m not good enough? And on and on it goes.
The truth is that because starting therapy in Austin, TX a new beginning, it’s a chance for you to ask yourself new questions about beginnings, such as “What if this other person really gets me???” The therapist you choose will already have helped other people through that semi-awkward getting-to-know-you phase, so you’ll be in good hands (plus did you know therapists sometimes wonder if their new clients will like them?).
When I start relationships with new clients, I want to know what’s right with them. I ask questions about the things that are going well, what they like about themselves, what others say they like about them, etc.
It’s so important for clients to recognize that I see them as people, not problems. After all, the therapeutic relationship is one that involves two human beings. Being human means we’re constantly trying to balance what’s not working and what is.
Your Therapy Sessions Will Revolve Around You
It can be a little strange to start up a relationship where the focus is on Numero Uno. After all, you were raised to have social skills, and you know it’s polite to ask the other person how they’re doing, how their day is going, etc.
But this is therapy, and it requires a much more one-sided kind of relationship. You can still use your manners, though the conversation will zero in on what it’s like to be you. Your therapist has other people they can talk to about what it’s like to be them; they won’t make themselves be the subject of your sessions.
Therapists have varying levels of comfort with sharing anything about themselves, but I’m willing to disclose personal information as long as it makes sense within the therapeutic relationship and doesn’t interfere with the flow of therapy. If I choose to self-disclose, I quickly turn the focus of conversation back to the client. That’s who I show up for.
Give Yourself Time to Adjust to Therapy in Austin, TX
You might find yourself feeling a little uneasy as you begin looking at yourself in ways you’ve never made time for before. Maybe you’ve never had anyone in your life give you their undivided attention. If that’s the case, any feelings of discomfort would be normal.
Being uncomfortable doesn’t mean that therapy in Austin, TX is wrong for you. It just means that you’re trying to adjust to a new situation, and new situations can feel unsettling until you’re used to them.
My experience with clients is that some warm up right away and some take a long time to develop a relationship. Either way, I respect that my clients are learning to trust themselves and learning to trust me, and the process of earning trust can’t be hurried. I have to fine-tune my pace and my approach for the unique needs of each person.
You’ll Have a Personal Road Map for Success
You and your therapist will spend the first few sessions fine tuning your goals. You’re obviously thinking of initiating contact with a therapist because you have goals you want to work on, but these will get fleshed out in greater detail with the therapist’s help. You’ll have a treatment plan developed just for you—it’s like a road map so you can look at the path to progress and get a sense of how your goals will be met.
Starting with graduation in mind, the therapist will reverse-engineer things to come up with a treatment plan for you to review and approve or suggest changes. After all, graduating from therapy is the ULTIMATE goal, and your therapist needs your input to help guide you to the finish line.
As an art therapist, I get client input through verbal behavior as well as artmaking behavior. Both combine to yield insights that are used to develop the treatment plan and establish benchmarks for success. This isn’t about being a good talker or a good artist—it’s about a client enlisting their whole nervous system to tell a very significant story about where they’re at and where they want to be.
Therapy in Austin, TX is an Active Process
Once the treatment plan’s been nailed down, it’s time to get to work! This is where it’s extremely important to show up for sessions and participate actively.
It’s not a good time for sinking into “I don’t know”s and shoulder shrugs. If you don’t know, your therapist won’t either. They’re not an expert on being you.
Expecting to sit in a chair and let the therapist do all the work starts to sound like what you’d expect from a haircut appointment. All you have to do for a haircut appointment is play a passive role while someone else meets your needs.
Therapy is not a haircut appointment. The more engaged you are, the more you’ll get out of the experience.
The clients I work with get to make use of their bodies during the artmaking process, so they’re active in sessions! I could nerd out here and tell you about how your eyes and hands shape your brain, but instead I’ll just say that the people I help are engaged in therapy at both verbal and nonverbal levels. And they can literally see the progress they’re making as their visual language begins to change.
It’s OK to Be Honest About What You Want
You’ll also need to be honest with your therapist if something about therapy really isn’t working for you. If you pretend that you’re happy with the services but actually aren’t, you therapist can’t read your mind. They can’t make strategic shifts if they don’t know you aren’t benefitting.
It’s ok to tell your therapist what you need. If the therapist can’t provide it, they’ll work with you to find a therapist in Austin, TX who can and then help you transition to that new person.
Not being happy with therapy or your therapist doesn’t mean things have failed. It actually means you’re getting better at recognizing your needs and what works for you. This is success in and of itself!
I rely on client feedback to make sure our relationship is ok and that the client has a sense of forward momentum. These two things are absolutely crucial to positive outcomes in therapy—there’s a lot of data behind this, which is why I seek feedback in every session. That way I can make changes before anything goes off the rails.
Therapy in Austin, TX Helps You Become YOU
As therapy progresses, you can expect your internal landscape to change a little. Some of the things you used to put up with in your life might seem intolerable to you.
Conversely, some of the things you used to think were intolerable might seem easier to put up with. Your relationships might shift as you develop better talking and listening skills, and you’ll be better able to select people who also have good talking and listening skills.
Most of all, it’ll just feel better to be you. There’s no such thing as the “old” you; therapy won’t turn you into someone new. Instead, it’ll help you become the person you were meant to be.
As a therapist, it’s so rewarding to see someone step into their power and resolve their issues in a way that lets them live authentically. I consider it a privilege to witness the process of change and support people as they transform into beautiful butterflies, ready to spread their wings.
Graduating from Therapy in Austin, TX Is a New Beginning
Then there’s graduation. No worries—you and your therapist will prepare for this well in advance, and your treatment plan/road map will be reviewed from time to time to give you a sense of where you’re at.
Occasionally the treatment plan might need to be revised. Little tweaks are all about moving you toward your graduation ceremony. When you and your therapist agree that it’s almost time for you to put on an invisible cap and gown, your work together will shift and begin to focus on looking back at the progress made as well as preparing for life after graduation—your new beginning.
Graduation is a something to celebrate, and it doesn’t mean that you can’t return to your therapist in the future. Sometimes people call up the therapist they haven’t seen in years, asking to be put on the schedule because something else has come up in life. And that old relationship they formed with their therapist becomes new again.
When I help people prepare for graduation so they can spread their wings and fly away, I facilitate a review of their art products so they can see and recall the journey they’ve been on. It’s so easy to forget how awful things felt at the beginning of therapy!
That means it’s also easy to forget all the strength that was acquired along the journey. Looking at the images that were created in our sessions together reminds clients of the gains they’ve made, and these same images can be revisited at any point in the client’s future whenever they need to touch base with their capacity for positive change and their experience in art therapy.
Get a Free Therapy Consultation in Austin, TX
I hope the info above will help you find your ideal therapist in Austin, TX. Are you ready to take action and create the life you want to live? Contact me today to schedule your complimentary 15-minute phone consultation. We’ll have a conversation about your goals and how online art therapy can turn your vision into a reality.
Are you wondering if anxiety, depression, and stress are things you should just learn to live with? I want to point you in the direction of my About page to help you understand how I support people in transforming these conditions. You DON’T have to live an imbalanced, colorless life!