Building psychological strength
I liken the therapeutic process to starting a physical training program. When you begin to use muscles in a new way with the intent of strengthening them, it’s painful because the muscles are being activated in ways they haven’t been.
Initially, the soreness of a new workout can last for a few days. Yet with consistency and practice, the exercises that were initially very difficult become easy and no longer cause discomfort.
Our tolerance and endurance increase.
We grow stronger.
We even develop a sense of comfort with movements that initially felt awkward or unpleasant. Therapy is no different.
What you’re strengthening in therapy
The ultimate goals of treatment often involve the following:
- Improved metacognition (knowing what we are thinking)
- Self-compassion
- Increased insight (why am I doing what I am doing)
- Meaningful behavior change (doing something different).
To see these positive changes, we have to learn how to develop and use our psychological strength.
As with many aspects of life, discomfort is a requirement on the path to self-improvement.
Disclaimer: It is important to note that discomfort is always undertaken voluntarily, which is different than being forcibly coerced or violated, meaning that you are in physical danger or emotionally unsafe (i.e., the therapist is yelling/shouting or making sexual advances). These behaviors are never acceptable in any therapeutic format.
How long does change take?
Clients often ask, “How long will change take?”
In my nearly 20 years of experience, I have found that when someone attends therapy on a weekly basis, initial changes typically occur within the first 4-6 weeks of treatment.
However, the lasting, sustained changes in relationships with others and with yourself usually take longer. My clients often report these types of changes beginning to emerge after 5 or 6 months of treatment.
Many evidence-based protocols are designed around 8-14 sessions, and they certainly do work. Yet often, “prework” is helpful to maximize the benefit of a time-limited protocol.
What is “prework?”
Prework can include things like:
- Establishing rapport and trust with the therapist
- Learning about psychological concepts
- Building a solid self-care routine.
Episodic treatment
Therapy is often “episodic”, meaning that you can do multiple rounds of treatment. It might be that you feel significantly better after a few months of therapy and find that the symptoms that brought you in are no longer a problem, so you end treatment.
Then, maybe some months or years later, either symptoms return, or an inciting circumstance arises, and so you return to therapy to do another course of treatment. That’s great! I always remind clients who are terminating not to hesitate to re-engage if they need support in the future.
Take home message
Therapy is not about quick fixes. It’s meant to build strength over time, learning how to move through discomfort, and returning when you need renewed support.
If you’re considering therapy in California or Florida, our team at PsychPro is here to help you build the psychological strength that leads to lasting change.
Schedule a complimentary consultation or call (619) 693-8327 to begin your journey.
“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.”
Pema Chödrön, 1997, p. 81
