It goes without saying that the prospect of therapy can be daunting. You may be under the impression that sessions are intense and uncomfortable or that you will be pushed into opening up about your deepest thoughts and emotions - even if you don't feel ready to discuss them. Although this may be how it is shown in movies and on TV,  therapy is far from this in reality! In fact, you may be surprised to know that it is often up to you to determine how your therapy sessions play out.In today's article, we will take a closer look at what you are likely to talk to your therapist about and the various topics and situations you can work on in therapy—hopefully giving you peace of mind that this type of treatment always has your best interests at heart.

So, what do you talk about in therapy?

You can address many subjects within one therapy session; however, there tends to be a central theme for your treatment course. Many people start therapy after a tragedy, trauma, diagnosis or realisation. This typically becomes the main talking point, but as time passes, we will often dive into other areas and look at other experiences to get a complete understanding. Person-centred therapy is the approach I specialise in; it focuses on the person, not the condition(s) that they are experiencing. With this style of therapy, my clients control the topics discussed and lead the way in our conversations, ensuring they feel at ease and comfortable throughout.Knowing what to talk about and how much you want to discuss is down to your personal preferences. Although, often, I will ask questions to help you challenge your comfort zone and tap into the root of the issues that you're facing, as long as you feel happy to do so.

Don't forget minor issues matter too.

While the end goal of therapy is to find the solution to your troubles, or at least ways to manage your mental health, you must remember that there is no set path. In fact, speaking about issues that you may see as minor is something we therapists encourage because it helps paint a clearer picture of how you perceive situations and at what level they affect you. That way, we can offer effective advice and guidance when tackling more challenging problems.  

Why is it important to talk about different topics in therapy?

Although you lead your person-centred therapy sessions, your therapist will always encourage you to discuss various topics. This goes for all types of therapy. But why?

To explore every possibility.

It's expected that in therapy sessions, you may only want to focus on the topic you perceive to be the primary contributor to your struggles. But it's also important to talk about other life experiences and past traumas, as you may discover they hold a connection.Therapy helps you explore every possible scenario. In particular, humanistic therapy works to help you better understand what you're experiencing, offering guidance and support without interpreting your feelings for you. As a result, you'll come to terms with what has happened in the past and discover how to handle such situations in the future if need be.

To help you paint a clearer picture.

In many cases, individuals go to therapy to clarify their situation and mindset. With that in mind, person-centred counselling allows you to dictate how your conversation goes while also gaining the response of your therapist as they interpret and learn your thought processing. Throughout the therapy course, you'll begin to understand how your judgement may have clouded previous scenarios that have led to how you feel today. Therefore, you can take this new outlook and use it to your advantage by reassessing your current mindset.

To strengthen the therapeutic relationship.

Your therapeutic relationship is always personal, even while the therapist remains professional. And by talking about a range of topics and expressing how you handle such situations, they'll learn more about you as a person, thus allowing them to offer better advice and guidance.The stronger the therapeutic relationship is, the more comfortable you will feel when opening up, allowing you to progress as each session happens.

To give you a whole new perspective.

Last but not least, therapy can help change your view on current and past experiences. As you progress, you'll become less anxious, sad or angry and, instead, more confident and better able to cope with setbacks. You can look at past experiences with a new outlook and experience the future with a new-found perspective. Therapy lets you gain another perspective on your situation, helping you see things through fresh eyes. This will enable you to be more conscious of your approaches in the future. Not to mention, you'll learn the benefits of reducing bias, judgement and conflict within your decision-making.

Get in touch today.

My therapy sessions explore every possible aspect of your situation as long as you're happy and comfortable addressing them. I create a bespoke treatment plan to help you meet your personal goals and ensure your comfort is of the utmost importance. As a person-centred counsellor based in Warrington, Cheshire, I have a wealth of experience in helping all my clients find the right solutions for them. If you would like to learn more about how I work - or want to book a session - please visit my website, and let's get you on the road to recovery.