As you spend more time discussing goals and challenges with your Talkspace therapist, you may have questions or are interested in learning more about specific mental health topics and conditions. The Talkspace Bookshelf offers up-to-date mental health information directly from our behavioral health team to provide a better understanding of condition origins, diagnoses, various forms a condition may take, and different treatment options. Feel free to use this resource as a starting point to open up a dialogue and pose questions for your Talkspace therapist.

Therapy is a complex process. The success of therapy, in large part, falls on the strength of the relationship between therapist and client. As such, it is considered a highly collaborative process in which a therapist and you, as a client, work together to identify problems and strategize ways to engage with your concerns better in the future.

At times, you may begin to feel that the course of therapy is no longer meeting your needs, or that your therapist is not offering what you expected at the onset of therapy. Unlike many other professions, therapy prizes that kind of feedback as necessary for progress.

It can be difficult to discern when is the right time to speak about your concerns or how to go about asking for changes. Most, if not all therapists, are going to be open to hearing your thoughts and feedback on the therapeutic process. In addition, most counselor training programs provide training clinicians with a lot of feedback about their style and skills, therefore all professional and licensed therapists will have had experiences with constructive criticism regarding their skill set. As such, your therapist will welcome your feedback in a way that is nonjudgmental and not defensive. At the end of day, it is their duty to provide a service for you, and as such, your therapist will want to ensure that you get the most out of your time in therapy.

That being said, therapists are also human being. While it is the therapist’s responsibility to remain open and non judgemental, sometimes they have “off days” too. They may not respond exactly how you expected when you approach them to talk about changes in therapy. But, if your therapist reacts with an open-mind, then in most instances, you will be able to work through whatever concerns you have about the therapeutic process. Most therapists may have one, or a few, ways of working with clients. However, most clinicians have experience treating a wide range of issues and utilizing different approaches to a person’s concerns. That means that they will likely be capable, and willing, to address your concerns about therapy proactively.

If you are not used to asserting yourself, speaking to your therapist about desired changes can be difficult. However, it could also be one of the best decisions that you make in therapy. Speaking up about your concerns will enable you to understand the process more fully and make the necessary adjustments to gain more from your experience. If you opt out of expressing your concerns then you may rob yourself of the chance of practicing a new way of managing conflict. And due to the boundaries of the relationship, therapy may be the perfect place to practice being more assertive. Your therapist will take your feedback in stride, regroup, change directions, and help you move forward in meeting your goals.

Many clients leave therapy prematurely due to unresolved concerns about the process. It can be difficult to even think about finding a new therapist after such a conclusion. If you ultimately decide to leave prematurely, your therapist will help you with the transition. When you address your concerns head on, however, you eliminate the necessity to start the process over again. And if your therapist hasn’t made an egregious or unethical mistake, this may be the option that keeps you on track.

When to Ask for Changes

There is no hard and fast rule to decide when to ask your therapist for changes. Generally, it is recommended that as soon as you begin to feel concerned or dissatisfied with the process of therapy you broach the subject openly. If you opt to begin a discussion about the process sooner, rather than later, you can greatly reduce any frustration, confusion, or miscommunication with your therapist.

Typically, many therapists will also routinely attempt to check in with you about the process of therapy and your feelings about it. If you have a predetermined length of therapy at its onset, your therapist may likely ask for your thoughts, at minimum, halfway through your agreed upon time frame. In many instances, that therapist will ask for your feedback along the way as you work on meeting your goals from session to session. Both times present great opportunities for speaking up about your concerns.

Additionally, some therapists use a form of treatment called Feedback-Informed Treatment. This process generally requires that therapists ask their clients regularly for feedback by using rating scales after sessions with a therapist. Some research has indicated this leads to people staying in therapy longer and making more progress overall than those who did not use these regular, formal evaluations.

How to Ask For Changes

There are many different ways in which you can approach your therapist with your concerns. It is an uncomfortable, and awkward conversation to think about having. Some people may feel comfortable with the idea of addressing their concerns head on during the conversation. If you are not as assertive you may consider first writing out notes before you approach your therapist with your concerns. This may help you prepare, and in a sense, rehearse the conversation before it happens. You may also want to consider prefacing the conversation about your concerns at the end of an exchange as a topic to discuss at an upcoming conversation. There is not right or wrong was to discuss how to get the most out of therapy.

All therapists are primarily motivated by helping people reach their goals. If you don’t feel that your therapy process is a good fit, or you have concerns about your progress in therapy, speak to your therapist directly. They will receive your feedback in an open and non-defensive way to help keep the process moving forward. Ultimately, if you decide that you and your current therapist are not a good fit, then let them know that and they will help you find an alternative so that you can continue to work on what’s most important to you. Talkspace also makes it easy to switch therapists within the app. Just go to your account settings and choose “Change Therapist.”

Therapeutic Note

Remember your therapist is here to help you figure out the best way to address your concerns. Therapy works best when it is a collaboration between you and your therapist. It is important to be open, honest, and an active participant in this process. Talk to your therapist about your goals for therapy so that together you can come up with the best plan to achieve your goals.

Questions for My Therapist:

• How long does it take to know if me and my therapist are a good “fit?”
• How often will we discuss my progress and thoughts about my therapy process?
• Do you use any formal methods to assess progress or client satisfaction?
• If I decide to end therapy, what is the best way to do that?
• Can you help me transition to another therapist who may be a better fit?

Sources:

Howes, R. (2012, September 21). How To Give Feedback to Your Therapist. Retrieved August 17, 2017, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-therapy/201209/how-give-feedback-your-therapist

Tartakovsky, M. (2016). Feedback-Informed Treatment: Empowering Clients to Use Their Voices. Psych Central. Retrieved on August 18, 2017, from https://psychcentral.com/lib/feedback-informed-treatment-empowering-clients-to-use-their-voices/

Rauch, J. (2017, July 06). How to Ask Your Therapist For Changes. Retrieved August 14, 2017, from https://www.talkspace.com/blog/2017/07/ask-therapist-changes/