How do we get the most out of therapy in the short and long term? How do we make sure our time and money is well spent?

A few years ago I heard a co-worker, much older and wiser than me, say that for her, therapy was an investment in one’s mental health. 

It’s not exactly the same idea as a financial investment, but like all healthcare, if you don’t pay for help when or before you need it, it’s very possible you’ll end up paying more down the road. If not in dollars, then in stress or other negative health outcomes. 

What if a few bucks now added quality or quantity to your future?

Kind of a no-brainer. 

But it begs the question… how do I make sure that this investment grows? How do I make the most out of the money and time that I invest in my mental health? 

One obvious answer is… pick the right practitioner. 

What makes a good one? What makes them a good fit for you? 

That’s a long conversation, and I won’t belabour the point here. 

The point of this post is that improved health outcomes are not only about good practitioners. 

Evidence shows that client commitment to the therapeutic process and relationship predicts positive outcomes.

This is not something unique to mental health or talk therapy.

Committed patients take medications, perform their rehab routines, don’t cheat on their meal plans, prepare for surgeries, etc. 

You are the main difference-maker when it comes to your own health. 

In the words of Carl Rogers, the founder of Person-Centered Therapy, “As no one else can know how we perceive, we are the best experts on ourselves.” No matter how ‘expert’ they are, a therapeutic professional cannot know the depths of your life or your needs like you can. They can grant insight; they can make recommendations; they can research psychological data and apply it to your situation; they can open doors and help prepare you for the path you will face — but only you can open the door and walk the path. 

Here are 4 ways to get the most out of therapy and ensure your healing and growth. 

4 Ways to Get the Most Out of Therapy (5 C’s)

1. CONNECT: Share honestly and thoroughly. 

It’s probably the case that the things you least want to do are the very things you will need to do to make the progress you want to make. You won’t have to think for very long to know what you need to address, since they’ll make themselves apparent to you.

You might not be ready to share anything right away; that’s totally fine. Start where you’re able, and hopefully you’ll feel more prepared as the two of you connect.

2. CO-CREATE: Set goals for yourself. 

If you show up for therapy, great. You’ve taken a difficult first step, and you should be commended for it. But that’s just the beginning. Where do you want to be? Where could you be? What could your life look like? Don’t spend too long fantasizing. Dream a little bit, then start making concrete goals with your therapist.

3. CONTINUE: Do your homework. 

Depending on the therapist (or your own, communicated preferences), you may get assigned specific homework. Even if you don’t, spending some time thinking or reflecting, whether inwardly or outwardly with others, will help keep the gears turning. Therapy will act as the grease, but the rubber hits the road when you leave the session. 

4. COMMENT: Provide feedback. 

Tell your therapist what seems to work for you, and what doesn’t. They’re not perfect, they’re not omniscient, and they’re not even experts on your life, even if they’re experts in the world of psychology (they might not even be that). So do your part in providing them helpful information rather than assuming they’ll just piece things together. 

Chances are, you’re spending money to see a professional. Sitting down for an hour every week or so adds up. All of that time, money, and energy is well spent if you find healing and maturity, but the only person who can truly make those changes is you.

Keep thinking, keep healing, and keep investing in yourself.