A therapist cannot use physical “tools” as easily as a doctor, surgeon, or other medical professional can. Psychological problems are often not visible on the outside. A therapist is therefore dependent on you and the input you give. The more open you are, the more a therapist can help you. But that is quite difficult for many people. A therapist is therefore trained to look at the big picture. So, what else does he or she pay attention to during the sessions in order to help you as best as possible? And what can you expect from online help?
The intake interview
The first conversation between therapist and client is all about getting to know each other. The therapist knows absolutely nothing about you, so you are asked to tell them a little more about yourself. Who are you? What do you do? What does your life look like? This information doesn’t have to have anything to do with your symptoms yet. But in this way, the therapist gets an idea of the kind of person he or she has in front of him or her.
Next, you discuss your request for help. It may be difficult to go into detail right away, but the more information you give, the better the therapist can tailor the treatment plan to your situation. It is difficult for the therapist to assess your behavior, emotions, or thoughts during this introductory phase. Therefore, some therapists also use questionnaires or psychological tests.
What do you need to pay attention to?
The introductory meeting is not just for the therapist to get to know you better. Conversely, it is equally important that you get to know the therapist. So pay attention during this first meeting to whether you feel comfortable with the therapist. If not, you can always indicate this.
The therapy itself consists mostly of conversations. So the information you give is essential, but the therapist also pays attention to your body language, behavior, and emotions during these conversations. How do you react to certain questions? Which topics affect you emotionally? When do you get angry, sad, or remain superficial? The therapist builds on this by asking questions. He or she invites you to go deeper into something or thinks out loud with you about solutions.
After a few conversations, the therapist can often recognize patterns in what you say, how you think, and how your emotions form. These patterns are often unclear to you, or perhaps you are not aware of them at all. By observing closely and really listening to you, the therapist, as an outsider, can offer a clarifying perspective on recurring (thought) patterns that may be holding you back.
The fact that a therapist is specially trained to understand and empathize with a client does not mean that he or she is clairvoyant. The success of the therapy depends largely on the amount of information you give and how open you are. A good relationship with your therapist is, therefore, a requirement.
Are you curious about online therapy? Then feel free to contact our enrollment coordinator.
Want to get to know us first?
Request an online consultation with one of our trusted online therapists.