One of my clients told me that they loved talking to me every week but they were unsure if therapy was “working.” From my point of view, I could see how much progress the client had made but it’s hard to see the changes that therapy makes in our lives while we are busy living them. Whether you have been in therapy for years or you are new to the process, here are a few ways that you can tell therapy is working for you.

You are doing little things differently- did you take a few years off the dating rollercoaster but suddenly had the courage to grab coffee with the cute guy your friend has been telling you to text for years? Did you stick to your self care plan of taking a bath every Sunday night for the past month? Small changes in your behavior for the better are signs that therapy is working as you are feeling more secure and grounded in yourself which means you are more capable of engaging positively with the world around you. Each moment is a chance to try something new and you know that therapy is working when you decide to do something that makes you feel solid and good.
You can’t ignore your emotions - have you found yourself crying more easily even when you aren’t in a therapy session? Were you able to navigate a tricky conversation with a friend without it turning into a huge blowout fight because you were tuned into how you both felt? Therapy helps you to get in touch with your feelings which can be overwhelming at first if you have been cut off from your emotions for a long time. Though this can be uncomfortable at first, being in touch with your emotions helps you navigate your life with less friction as you are able to feel at ease with your emotions instead of suppressing them or denying they impact you. Therapy helps you to integrate your emotions into your life instead of fighting them.
Your relationships are shifting - does it feel like all of a sudden, you are way closer with some of your friends while others you barely talk to anymore? Are you discovering you actually enjoy spending time with your partner again? When you start changing, the people around you can’t help but notice even if they can’t put their finger on exactly what has changed. Therapy subtly changes your relationships as the people around you either adapt along with you or they feel challenged or upset by the changes you’ve made. It’s very common to have the people closest to you either want to start therapy themselves or conversely to say therapy is a scam. If you are wondering if therapy is working, look no further than those around you to see how your relationships have changed for the better, even if that means some have ended.

Therapy isn’t linear but over time, you can see the ways it changes your life. Even though it doesn’t happen overnight, reflecting on the small differences throughout your therapy journey can help you to see where you started and where you might want to go next in your work with your therapist. If you are looking to make positive changes in your life and relationships, get in touch with one of our therapists today for a free consultation.

How Do I Know Therapy Is Working?