Wondering how to get the most out of therapy? Here are some ideas about things to say to your therapist.
- “I like it when you….” or “I don’t like it when you….” Give feedback to your therapist about what works for you.
- “I think my life is like [this movie, book, song, TV show]. What do you think?” Get creative in how you tell your story.
- “I have stuff going on that I don’t feel safe to tell you yet.” You get to wait until you have developed trust with your therapist to disclose whatever you are keeping secret. And it is still helpful for your therapist to know you have things going on that you haven’t shared.
- “Right now, I am aware of….” Allow yourself to get in touch with what is happening in that very moment.
- “My biggest fear about therapy is….” Put it right out there.
- “What do you think are my biggest strengths?” Invite your therapist to share what they have observed about you.
- “What do I do that frustrates you?” Sometimes your therapist may be able to help you identify ways you are stuck that you hadn’t realized.
- “What can I do between sessions that will help me with this problem?” Ask for homework or for experiments to try on your own.
- “I don’t understand. Can you explain it again?” Don’t pretend to understand something you don’t. Your therapist can explain it a different way.
- “I don’t want to talk today. Can we draw / color / play a game / meditate / listen to music?” Your therapist might be open to doing other things if you don’t want to talk much. Better that you come to your session and say you don’t want to talk than for you to not come to your session at all.
What are some other things you might say to your therapist?