Life is full of challenges that can be difficult to handle. However, when life difficulties feel too overwhelming, many turn to therapy for help. Therapy has numerous benefits, but it is important to know what we should not expect from it. Below we list the things we should not expect from counseling.
- Immediate solutions to problems. Therapy is not magic. It will not provide an immediate solution to all of our problems. Therapy is a process that allows us to address our problems and search for solutions. Changes will happen over time and require a lot of work on our part. Moreover, psychologists do not like to give advice, because a client has their own world and views, therefore one piece of advice won’t work for every client.
- The therapist becomes our friend. The therapist will not become our friend. The therapist is a trained and experienced professional who can help us solve problems. Basically, it is important to show respect and trust towards them, but they will not be our friends, and they will not form a personal attachment to us. The counselor wants to stay objective, and the easiest way staying objective is by looking at the client’s problems as things to be solved or improved.
- Instantly changing our feelings. You should not expect counseling to quickly change your feelings. It will not instantly change us. Feelings and thoughts have developed over a long period of time, and it takes time to change them. In the process of therapy, we have the opportunity to examine the background of our feelings and thoughts and work to make them more positive. Also, the process always takes motivation and time. Read more on how to process feelings
- The therapist will deal with every problem. The therapist will not deal with all of our problems. Based on their specialization and experience, the therapist can help us in certain areas. It is important to seek the appropriate specialist for our problem. The two main specializations are clinical psychologists and counselors.
- Therapy replaces friends and family. Therapy cannot replace friends and family. Further, therapy is a tool to help us deal with our problems, but it is not the only way to handle difficulties in life. It is important to maintain our relationships with loved ones.
Read more on what to expect from therapy
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