Recent studies ask the clients what they think
People consider therapy and counselling for a variety of reasons. These may include struggles such as depression or relationship problems or following life changing events such as health issues or divorce.
It's important to know that psychotherapy is not a panacea for all ills, however there is a lot of good research about how it can help. As a psychotherapist I would suggest that it can offer you insight into yourself, a greater awareness of the different aspects of what you're feeling and what's happening in you. This will give you more choices and make you feel more connected with yourself which, in turn, allows you to be more connected with other people.
If you are considering therapy then you might be interested to know that some recent studies have asked people who are having therapy what they have found helpful and unhelpful about the experience.
THE THERAPIST
As a general principal, when discussing difficult feelings, many people find it very useful to speak to someone trustworthy and non judgmental who is outside the family.
According to one study (1) the qualities that clients find helpful in a therapist include warmth, honesty, genuineness, patience and trustworthiness. The findings suggest that if these things are available, it provides an opportunity for the person to express them self and to look at their feelings openly.
From my own experience I would suggest that people benefit from regular personal contact with the therapist and that this gives them a sense of feeling supported and understood which is also a finding of the research (2).
THE THERAPY
In a 2015 study (3) some of the main areas that were highlighted as helpful were:
- Being able to focus on yourself in a private, confidential space.
-The opportunity to consider ways of resolving specific problems, for example, relationship issues with family members and work colleagues.
-The opportunity to focus on difficult feelings in a safe and space. This included being able to acknowledge and name feelings such as fear, anxiety, grief, anger, sadness and depression.
-Participants felt that they could not be open about this type of feeling in their lives outside, and being able to talk about them brought great relief, and a renewed capacity to cope.
-The sessions provided the opportunity for people to unburden themselves - the relief of getting things off their chest in a safe space
Some of these things take time, and the process isn't always smooth or ideal. In fact this study talks about things that participants found unhelpful which included the fact that one person said that crying in a session made them feel out of control and another stated that something that the counsellor said did not fit for them.
SO - HOW CAN THERAPY HELP ?
The participants of these studies give an idea of how the therapist has provided them with a framework that has enabled them to think about, express and process the emotions and feelings that they have been faced with. When therapy has been helpful it has meant that the relationship with the therapist has allowed that person to feel supported.
From my own experience as a psychotherapist, I would suggest that the answer to the question 'How can therapy help?' will be different for each person. It will depend on what the person is looking for and struggling with. I am aware that asking for help from a therapist is a big step; it involves uncertainty - about the process, and finding the right person, and hoping for something different and better. One thing is certain however; if you don't try it - you will never know if therapy could help you.
1 MacCormack et al (2001). Someone who cares: a qualitative investigation of cancer patients' experience of psychotherapy. Psycho-Oncology, 10 52 - 65
2 Timulak, L. (2007). Identifying core categories of client-identified impact of helpful events in psychotherapy: a qualitative meta-analysis. Psychotherapy research, 17, 305-314
3 Morgan, C. & Cooper, M (2015) Helpful and unhelpful aspects of counselling following breast cancer: a qualitative analysis of post-session Helpful Aspects of therapy forms. British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, September 2015; 15 (3).
