What Do I Talk About In Therapy?

What do I talk about in therapy? What if I don't know what to talk about?

It's useful to have therapy as a resource when you're going through something challenging, but you don't just have to talk about the "bad" things that have happened. You can talk about the things that interest you about yourself. There may be days where you're not feeling it, you're not sure how to best use the session, or you've had such a good week that you feel like you "don't need" therapy that day. It's especially important to show up on the days where you're the most resistant. Sometimes the most work gets done on the days where you don't want to be there or you don't think you need to be there. These are the days where I can offer extra prompting to help you get something out of the session. Although it can help to come up with some ideas, you don't have to know what to talk about beforehand. It just helps to have a curious mind. If you feel enthusiastic about the prospect of learning more about yourself, that's enough. Some people prefer to be spontaneous and to allow themselves to talk about whatever comes to mind. It's also okay to dread therapy. There is often something interesting beneath the dread. It can even be useful to start the session by acknowledging your dread and seeking to understand what it's telling you. If you like to prepare for therapy, I recommend taking notes throughout the week. You can keep a journal where you record a daily or weekly log of notable happenings, thoughts, and feelings. For example, you may find yourself frequently having the same kinds of thoughts. You may notice that you fixate on perceived flaws everywhere you see them: in your appearance, in other people, in your physical surrounding. This is the kind of pattern to explore in therapy. In our work together, I will help you identify, analyze, and interrupt these patterns.