How Long Does Therapy Take to Work?
I think this is one of the more frequently asked questions about therapy. If you are making the decision to put your time, energy, and finances into this process, you want to know when you will start feeling better and living the life that you want to live. Given that this is such a frequently asked question, it is hard to say that there is no “magic number” in regards to length of therapy. Some people see improvements in a few weeks, while for others they might benefit from months, or in some cases years of support. In this post I will talk more about what you might be able to expect and some of the factors that influence the timeline of therapy.
How Long Does Therapy Take to Work?
For many people, short term therapy, like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) takes 8-20 sessions (about 3 to 5 months) to lead to noticeable improvement. However, addressing deeper, long-standing issues or complex trauma may require six months or longer.
Five Factors That May Influence Your Therapy Timeline:
Your goals
Are you looking for immediate symptom relief for a specific issue or are you looking to address something on a deeper level or work towards deeper self discovery? The overall timeline depends on your goals. Your first appointment involves getting a better sense of your needs and goals. Read more about what to expect in your first therapy session here.
Severity and duration of your struggles
How long have you been struggling? Is this a newer struggle for you or something that you have been struggling with for years? How severe are the issues that are bringing you to therapy? All of these questions can help get a sense of the overall course of therapy, as deep-rooted challenges typically require a longer commitment than more mild, situational issues.
Type of therapy
What type of therapy have you and your therapist decided to use to reach your goals? This will also impact the timeline of therapy. As noted above, CBT typically lends itself to shorter, more predicted course of action. While there are other therapies (e.g., psychodynamic) that can be longer-term or more open-ended. Of course, many therapies fall somewhere in-between.
Between session effort
You will typically spend anywhere from two to four hours per month with your therapist as you begin this process, depending on what you decide is best as part of your treatment plan. This means that, depending on your goals and the type of therapy that you have decided to engage in, it can be very important to practice skills and maintain self-awareness in the hours between sessions.
The Therapeutic Alliance
The relationship between you and your provider is very important, including feeling like you are heard and can trust the therapist. Research has consistently shown that this is one of the best predictors of overall treatment outcomes. If you could use some help with this check out, “How to Choose a Therapist?”
Monitor Therapy Progress
Of course, the most helpful way to understand what benefit you are getting out of therapy is to track the issue(s) you are working through in the process. For example, if you reached out for treatment due to depression you could track your mood, sleep, or ability to engage in activities you used to enjoy. Make sure that you and your therapist are having conversations about what is working, as well as what might not be working, and that adjustments are being made as necessary.
Next Steps for Starting Therapy
Always remember that everyone is different and goes through their own process. In addition, this is a collaborative relationship and you get to help drive your treatment process.
If you are ready to explore what a personalized therapy timeline looks like for your unique goals, I would be happy to chat with you about this.
Click here to schedule your free 15-minute phone consultation today.
Author Bio:
As a background, Dr. Amy Rodrigues is a licensed clinical psychologist located in Rochester, NY offering virtual therapy throughout all of New York State. She has 15 years of specializing in issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD/trauma, life stress, and relationship struggles. She earned her doctorate in psychology from the University of Rochester and focuses in combining evidence-based approaches with compassionate, person-centered care.
View more about her or her professional credentials.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for educational purposes only and should not be treated as medical, psychiatric, or psychological advice. This content does not establish a therapist-client relationship. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency, please call or text 988 (in the US/Canada) or go to the nearest emergency room.
