There are as many reasons to go to therapy as there are patients, but it is important to control the expectations with which we go to the psychologist’s office. Psychotherapists know the human mind and behavior and are based on empirical evidence to guide the most appropriate treatment for each patient. That is why therapy is a powerful and valuable tool that has its own limitations, however.
Patients come to therapy with the presumption of addressing unresolved problems, for which psychotherapists suggest a new vision or other mechanisms to deal with them. A treatment can be a transformative experience, in the sense that it helps you control your emotions, for example, during episodes of stress or anxiety. But don’t expect therapy to completely solve your problems for you.
Psychologists do not possess the absolute truth. In the end, no one knows your life better than yourself. It is also legitimate to question a treatment that does not work and you should not abandon a therapy for this reason: it is enough to suggest a change of approach. A therapist can offer you new perspectives and support you emotionally during a trance, but in the end, you have the last word. It is important to be clear about this premise before starting treatment: everyone is solely responsible for their actions and changing things requires effort and commitment on your part.
Some say that going to therapy has changed their lives, but as psychotherapist Chelsea Harvey Garner rightly points out in an article for Psychology Today, we must take this statement with a grain of salt. Psychologists do not work miracles nor can they intercede in factors as decisive as, for example, living in a precarious or unfavorable environment. They also do not guarantee that your life will improve if you make the right decisions, but what they can do is help you accept the truths, even if they hurt, or understand and manage the feelings derived from said life circumstances. It is a process that is not instantaneous and requires constant management by the patient if they do not want to stagnate.
Each one faces their own reality in a personal way. Human relationships are complex and that is why, even if you have a change of attitude after going through a treatment, that does not mean that you are going to recover the love of your life or that the person you have disappointed so much will go forgive
Another false myth of therapies is that the patient must constantly talk about his past. The truth is that it will only be addressed at the express wish of the patient, since these events, unalterable, do not have to help to better understand themselves. The therapies focus on the present moment to improve the patient’s attitude in the short term.
