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What does it mean to be stuck in therapy?
Before going forward, it’s important that everyone is on the same page. This article defines “feeling stuck” as the experience of spinning your wheels in place. Essentially, the person perceives their progress in therapy as slow, or as coming to a halt. The person wants more development, but feels unable to obtain it. Feeling stuck is this overarching sense that you need to do something to move you from the place you’re in to the place you’d rather be – but you just can’t. People describe this as being “frozen in place” and may even question themselves, their character, and their drive. Stopping therapy may be an option if you feel you have achieved all the goals you set and you’ve developed the skills to move on. You’ve learned how to manage your symptoms or have found a way to move through a challenge. After you unpack your feelings, your therapist might provide you with some insight in response or help you deconstruct and synthesize what you just shared. They also might give you a task or something to think about if they think it’s important for your process. After you unpack your feelings, your therapist might provide you with some insight in response or help you deconstruct and synthesize what you just shared. They also might give you a task or something to think about if they think it’s important for your process. It’s OK to feel whatever you’re feeling, and it’s definitely OK to bring it up in therapy. “Sometimes I ask clients to think about what they’d least like to talk about that day,” says Rapoport. “It’s usually a good sign of where the trouble is.”
Can therapy keep you stuck?
After working with a client for a significant amount of time, it’s common to feel stuck. Typically, this is a result of the client reaching initial goals and both therapist and client needing clarity on how to move forward. Therapists do get frustrated with clients from time to time, but some can handle difficult clients better than others. This may be due to training or inherent personality traits. We can notice if a client may be dissociated if we look out for the following cues: If the client feels in a fog. The client consistently asks therapist to repeat the questions. The client feels as though they are a long way away. When a client who is usually verbal begins to fall silent while talking about something difficult, corresponding silence by the therapist is often helpful and supportive. It may convey attention and interest, as well as the therapist’s commitment to not interfere with the client’s need to process what is going on. A safe emotional environment can be achieved through a calm talking voice, a slower speaking pattern, and thoughtful language. Every therapist should be attentive to the fact that each client moves at their own pace. For some, this might be fast and for others, it might take time. There are a few things that might contribute to this: you may not have developed the level of trust you need to feel safe with the therapist you are working with, you may be fearful of being judged by the therapist, or maybe you are afraid that opening the pain of the past might be too much to handle.
Why is therapy so difficult?
One of the most challenging aspects of conducting therapy is finessing the balance between meeting clients where they are at and also encouraging them to grow. I believe we all unconsciously recreate patterns in our life that are familiar to us as a way of working through our issues. When you’re on the job, the stakes are always high. The decisions you make as a therapist will affect people in different ways. That pressure of changing someone’s life for the better can really wear you down as an individual. You can often be drained both physically and mentally. Talk therapy should be an open-ended dialogue about any issues or concerns a person is facing. A psychotherapist may take notes while a person shares information about their family life, relationships, childhood experiences, and symptoms or history of a condition, to name a few examples. Here are a few questions your therapist might ask in your first therapy session, if they haven’t already addressed them in the phone consultation: Have you attended therapy in the past? What are your symptoms? Do you have a family history of mental health struggles?
Why does therapy fail for some people?
A person who is a rigid thinker might be resistant to making the appropriate behavioral changes because she doesn’t agree with them. A person who has issues with unrealistic expectations and impatience might believe therapy isn’t helpful because he thinks he should make much faster progress than he is. A safe emotional environment can be achieved through a calm talking voice, a slower speaking pattern, and thoughtful language. Every therapist should be attentive to the fact that each client moves at their own pace. For some, this might be fast and for others, it might take time. There are various reasons a therapist might be unable to work with you, such as lacking expertise in a key area you need support with, what insurance they accept, or conflicts of interest. There are various reasons a therapist may refuse treatment. Although it may feel like rejection, it’s typically not personal. Today, counselors acknowledge that countertransference is inevitable. They are human and prone to having their own issues emerge, often without them even realizing it. Sessions can trigger past experiences, unresolved issues, implicit beliefs and an array of emotions.
How do you know if therapy is not working?
A few clear signs of therapy not working are: feeling judged by your therapist. omitting information from your provider for fear of their reaction. consistently feeling worse in-between sessions and not receiving tools to move through the discomfort. The process of therapy may cause you to experience uncomfortable or painful feelings, such as sadness, guilt, anxiety, anger, or frustration. Counseling may bring up painful memories. It might disrupt relationships. Therapy can last anywhere from one session to several months or even years. It all depends on what you want and need. Some people come to therapy with a very specific problem they need to solve and might find that one or two sessions is sufficient. Common triggers for therapist tears are grief and loss or trauma, says Blume-Marcovici. Therapists who have suffered recent losses or major life stresses may return to work too soon — and then may find themselves crying when counseling patients who have had similar experiences. Looking ahead. Sharing something you think is too sensitive or personal can be uncomfortable. But know you’re not alone in thinking you’ve disclosed too much in therapy. When this happens, it can help to explore why you think you’ve overshared and talk it over with your therapist. The number of recommended sessions varies by condition and treatment type, however, the majority of psychotherapy clients report feeling better after 3 months; those with depression and anxiety experience significant improvement after short and longer time frames, 1-2 months & 3-4.