What is individual therapy?

Individual therapy is a joint process between a therapist and a person in therapy. Common goals of therapy can be to inspire change or improve quality of life. People may seek therapy for help with issues that are hard to face alone. Individual therapy is also called therapy, psychotherapy, psychosocial therapy, talk therapy, and counseling.

Therapy can help people overcome obstacles to their well-being. It can increase positive feelings, such as compassion and self-esteem. People in therapy can learn skills for handling difficult situations, making healthy decisions, and reaching goals. Many find they enjoy the therapeutic journey of becoming more self-aware. Some people even go to ongoing therapy for self-growth.

When Is It Best To Seek Therapy?

It could be time to seek therapy if an issue causes distress or interferes with daily life. Distress can mean negative thoughts, feelings, behaviors, or even a bodily sensation such as pain or fatigue. It is important not to wait until symptoms become severe before going to therapy. It may be best to seek therapy if you are often unhappy or feel overwhelmed and hopeless about issues in your life. Therapy can also help if you cannot focus on work or school, experience addiction, or feel like hurting yourself or someone else.

Some people may avoid treatment, and there are many reasons for this. Some of these reasons include:

Worry about the stigma that can come with mental health care
Feelings of shame when speaking about past hurts
Not wanting to acknowledge that anything is wrong
Fear that discussions in treatment will not stay confidential
Money issues

A trained therapist can help people make lifestyle changes. They can also help identify underlying causes of symptoms and provide strategies for changing unwanted thoughts and behaviors. Therapy can equip people with the skills to manage symptoms, reduce stress, and improve their quality of life.

What Can Psychotherapy Help With?

Therapy can help treat mental, emotional, physical, and behavioral issues. Concerns that may be discussed in therapy include, but are not limited to:

Anxiety
Stress
Food and eating issues
Anger
Relationship or marriage challenges
Addiction
Abuse
Family issues
Sexuality
Insomnia

How Psychotherapy Works

There are many forms of therapy. Some types of treatment work better than others when handling different issues. It is common for therapists to combine ideas from different approaches when addressing a person’s needs.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most popular and effective types of therapy. This approach helps people look at the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Then, people can replace negative thinking patterns with positive ones. The belief behind CBT is that healthy thoughts often promote positive feelings and productive actions.

Other Effective Approaches Include:

There are many forms of therapy. Some types of treatment work better than others when handling different issues. It is common for therapists to combine ideas from different approaches when addressing a person’s needs.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most popular and effective types of therapy. This approach helps people look at the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Then, people can replace negative thinking patterns with positive ones. The belief behind CBT is that healthy thoughts often promote positive feelings and productive actions.

Other Effective Approaches Include:

There are many forms of therapy. Some types of treatment work better than others when handling different issues. It is common for therapists to combine ideas from different approaches when addressing a person’s needs.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): Can help people cope with stress, improve emotional regulation, and work on relationships.
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT): Can help build relationship skills.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): May increase awareness of thoughts and emotions.
Psychodynamic therapy: Can help people understand unconscious experiences and how they may affect behavior.

How Long Does Individual Therapy Last?

Individual therapy sessions often last from 45 to 60 minutes. How often sessions occur and how long they are depend on many factors, including:

The mental health condition addressed and its severity
The amount of time the person in therapy has had the issue
How much the issue affects day-to-day life
How much distress the issue causes
How quickly the person in therapy improves

Financial limitations

Some concerns can be addressed through short-term therapy over a few weeks. However, chronic or more complex concerns can require long-term treatment. Sometimes, it may take more than a year for noticeable progress to be made.