A common question that arises among people considering therapy is the length of the treatment.
This is understandable since people exploring the possibility of counseling want to know how much it will cost them. That is, in terms of money, time, and energy.
However, there is no set answer to this question. After all, each individual has their own therapy goals and requirements. The determination of how long therapy should take is sometimes subjective.
Having an open and honest rapport with your chosen counselor is crucial to better understanding how long the treatment is projected to last.
You can discuss your therapy goals, the evolution of the treatment project, and the next steps to follow. Doing so will teach you more about your therapy journey and how long it might last.
How Long Should you Stay in Therapy?
The length of each person’s therapy treatment is unique and personal. It depends on your goals, requirements, psychological and material resources, and subjective outlook on your circumstances.
Some psychological treatments have standardized protocols depending on the specific mental health disorder. However, these often become a road map for the therapist to follow. After all, not all clients progress at the same rate, nor do they have to.
It is essential to factor in some variables to understand how long your therapy may last. For example, the type of therapy you are getting, your therapist’s style, your personal goals, and your symptoms.
But even so, it is still not easy to determine the length of your treatment. We have uplifting sessions where we make rapid progress and others where we feel stagnant. Some days we are more motivated, and some others, we don’t feel like moving forward.
Some clients report feeling better after a specific amount of therapy sessions, which does not mean the treatment is over. Therapy is not just about fixing problems. It is about changing each client’s approach to their personal journey.
Therapy is often compared to working out at the gym. While the latter helps you keep your body fit and healthy, therapy helps you exercise your mind and emotions more effectively.
Therefore, many clients do not go to therapy to “fix” their issues but to better explore their behavioral patterns. They prioritize mental health to perform at their best regardless of the circumstances.
How Many Therapy Sessions Do you Need?
The American Psychological Association analyzed how many sessions each treatment should last. However, they also mention that the length of time depends on each individual and the type of treatment.
- The results of their research indicate that about 15 to 20 sessions are required for 50% of patients to either feel better or recover.
- They also show that many treatments for specific mental health disorders demonstrate impressive clinical improvements after the established 12 to 16 weekly sessions.
- However, some patients and therapists prefer to extend the treatment over 20 to 30 sessions over six months to ensure symptom remission and that the client feels sufficiently confident in the skills learned.
- Clinical research suggests that some personality difficulties and clients with co-occurring conditions may require 12-18 months of sessions for the treatment to be effective.
But what’s more important to consider is that therapy is more productive when it becomes part of the client’s lifestyle. Doing a couple of sporadic sessions will not make any difference. It is recommended to have at least 12 to 16 sessions to start seeing results.
How Long is a Typical Therapy Session
Individual therapy sessions typically last between 50 and 55 minutes. They do not extend up to 60 minutes because the therapist needs time to take notes and think through the following steps of the client’s treatment.
However, this is not a fixed length of time. Some therapy sessions may last 45 minutes and some 60 minutes. Nevertheless, psychologists must gather their thoughts and wrap up the previous session before the next client’s turn.
In some cases, your therapist may propose a lengthier session of 80-85 minutes, usually because there is a particular issue to be addressed in depth. On the other hand, your counselor won’t recommend short therapy sessions of less than 45 minutes because it’s hard to get therapeutic work done in such a small amount of time.
For couples counseling, the rules are a bit different. The first few sessions last between 85 and 90 minutes, so both partners can participate. Then, each couple has individual sessions of 40 minutes before resuming sessions together of 85 minutes each.
Does Therapy Actually Help
Studies show that 75% of people who go through therapy experience some benefits and feel better than when they started. However, regardless of the type of treatment, the number of sessions, or your psychologist’s style, you must be committed to improving your life.
The therapy journey has no guarantees. It is not a steady ride but involves many highs and lows, which does not mean you are not healing.
We must factor in the problem you are struggling with, your personal goals, and your unique personality. It is not the same to enter therapy to work on your anxiety or depression as it is to improve your relationship. Some clients seek counseling to address complex mental health disorders, others to learn resources to navigate a particular crisis, and others to get to know themselves better.
Starting therapy brings us face to face with our highest potential but also our darkest self. Moving along this path is not easy at times, but sticking to it can guarantee the treatment’s effectiveness.