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What to Expect in Therapy with a Professional Mental Health Counselor

Updated: Dec 2, 2023



Therapy is a time, money, and vulnerability investment for us all; that's why, in my opinion, it shouldn't be forever. Ideally, everyone interested in beginning therapy, as well as those already in therapy, should desire short-term therapy that works in the long term, to move on with the things in life they enjoy more that going to therapy.


I mean don't get me wrong, I love seeing my clients and that they love seeing me, but both of us understand that the goal of a therapeutic relationship is not to form reliance on it or the therapy sessions themselves, in order to function better in life.

EMDR Therapist Carolyn Lee LMHC explains how The stigma surrounding mental health issues is dissolving faster than that stigma surrounding what their Treatments look like.

For instance, while most people know that lobotomies, blood letting, and therapy consisting of lying down to stream one's consciousness to a wall, as a therapist creeps behind them are all practices that are no longer common, if a t a l l e v e r still used,


people still assume that the focus of therapeutic processes in mental health treatment looks the same as they might've 50-100 years ago. These people might conclude that all Mental Health Counseling and Therapy is for one of these:

  1. Exploring mommy, daddy, or penis envy issues, or reading into the symbolic meaning of unconscious thoughts based on what's seen in weird pictures

  2. Skill based and focused on modifying behavior gradually, and over time, using reinforcement and punishment

  3. "Talking about it" or "talking it out" to feel more heard, validated, and find answers in the reflections of the content they share

  4. For getting a mental health diagnosis, to seek medication and/or occupational accommodations

And, you can still find Therapists out there that provide and specialize in any one or combination of the above mental health treatment methodologies, if that's what you're looking for... However,


Therapy has since evolved to better keep up with our fast-paced lifestyles, innovative social culture, and ever-growing library of lifetimes possibilities.

So what can therapy do now that it couldn't back then?

Therapy in 2023, regardless of modality for the most part (ie. the kind of therapy), has been updated similar to how your Iphone has been.


The theories, concepts, goals, and unique features of each type of therapy remain true to their cores, but process and techniques used in therapy have been updated for efficiency and practicality.


There's been more time for insights and research to lend a hand in thoroughly training new Therapists in evidence-based findings, which've informed therapeutic practices that can lead to faster healing, with more long term benefits, and less "talking about it."

So what can I expect to get out of therapy in 2023?

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