In 2023, 59.2 million Americans received some form of mental health treatment. There are over 80 formal evidence-based treatment modalities and an innumerous amount of holistic therapy options practiced by a combination of social workers, licensed mental health counselors, psychologists, and other mental health providers.
Despite these specializations, a variety of research studies have shown that the therapeutic alliance between a client and their therapist is incredibly important in considering treatment outcomes. If you are not feeling heard by your therapist, you may not be getting the most out of your treatment. Thankfully, there are ways to better your relationship with your mental health provider.
Be Direct About Your Feelings
Your therapist should be a safe space for you to be able to express your feelings about how treatment is going - if what your therapist has been offering isn’t helpful, they would love to hear it so they can be more effective. Share your thoughts and feelings about what has and has not been working for you so that you can both explore this further.
Clarify Your Treatment Goals
If you find that your therapy sessions are not focusing on what you believe would be most helpful for you, you should say that! If your therapist disagrees, they should be able to express why they feel it is important for you to work through the current topic at hand. Having goals in writing and reviewing (or setting) them at the start of a session can allow your treatment to feel more directed.
Inquire About Your Therapists Strengths (and Weaknesses)
Learning more about your therapist's expertise will enable you to capitalize on their strengths and what their experience can offer you. Though a therapist may have a specific area of practice, odds are they pull in pieces of other specialties as needed. If they are aware of what has been helpful or not in your work together, they may be able to pull in more resources from another treatment modality.
In the worst-case-scenario, you and your therapist may determine that perhaps you wouldn’t be the best fit to work together. That happens sometimes! No therapist is going to be the perfect match for every client, but we all hope that you get the best care possible, even if that isn’t with us.
Compassionate Healing is proud to have a diverse staff in both identities and experiences and we will strive to meet your needs. Please reach out via the contact form to learn more about current therapist availability.
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