How to Open Up to Your Therapist
- Murron O'Neill, LCSW
- 22 minutes ago
- 2 min read
One of the most daunting aspects to starting therapy is those first few sessions where the two people speaking are nothing more than strangers to one another. Though working through this is the daily experience of any therapist, we recognize and have an understanding that this is not the reality for just everyone. We have zero expectations of the people we work with sharing deep, intimate secrets with us the second they walk into our offices (or telehealth links). That wouldn’t exactly create a very welcoming environment.
That being said: the more we know about you, the more effective we can be in our work. Time and time again, research studies show that one of the most important factors to positive clinical outcomes is the therapeutic relationship between therapist and client. By getting to know you, and you getting to know us, we can accomplish some amazing work together.
If you are having trouble opening up to your therapist, here are some strategies you can use to begin the process of doing so.
Strategies For Opening Up:
Play a question game, where you maybe talk about why you like things like your favorite food, where you would live in the world if you could snap your fingers and choose, or what your biggest pet peeve is.
State your opinions about things about increasingly vulnerable topics. This could start with something like your favorite food to eat during the summer, but travel to how you feel about a new policy at work, and later on to larger controversial topics.
Start small with sharing stories of an intense or traumatic nature. Begin with one sentence, or even one word about the experience. Or just talk about what it presently feels like for you to even think about sharing the story.
It takes a while to build rapport with your therapist, and we are happy to do the work it takes to establish your trust. If we can help you learn to be more comfortable in your vulnerability please do not hesitate to let us know.
Want to feel truly seen, heard, and supported in therapy? Learn more about our team of compassionate therapists and how we can help you feel safe opening up. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment.