Well, this is the main reason you’re in therapy - to be listened to and to be able to express yourself freely without feeling like you are being talked over. Good listening includes being actively involved in what you’re saying and listening without judgement. A good therapist should ask relevant questions and remember what was discussed in previous sessions.
One of your most important rights in therapy is that whatever you decide to share must be completely confidential. A good therapist will maintain the secrecy of your conversations. However, it is important to note that there are certain situations where confidentiality must be broken, namely if you are physically dangerous to yourself or someone else.
It is also your right to have a clear plan set, and to feel your therapist is directing the course of therapy. Of course, this may vary according to the style of therapy, but a good therapist will give you a good sense of where you’re at and what you need to do to move forward, without succumbing to distractions.
It’s ok to progress slowly, or feel less progress than expected. But you have to feel some progress within a certain time, even if minor. You should also be able to discuss this process with your therapist without feeling uncomfortable or discouraged.
According to the style of therapy, your therapist may help this progression by making meaningful observations, teaching you new things or assigning meaningful homework.
A good therapist has firm boundaries and are bound by a set of ethics that will guide the therapeutic relationship. A therapist should never ask you to meet at a place outside work, add you on Facebook, or chat in a non-professional context. It should go without saying that a therapist should never ask anything inappropriate of you like sending pictures.
People are different, especially while experiencing challenges and tackling them. A good therapist will never use themselves as an example, will never over-share information about themselves, and should never open-up about their own problems during your session.
Therapists do not need to know-it-all, but they should be keen on continuous development. If your therapist consistently keeps up with psychotherapy updates and new research, that is a good sign! It is important for therapists to stay keen, and to continue to learn new techniques for providing the most refined mental health care.
It’s important to remember that therapists are human; they can be tired, sick, or mentally unwell themselves; but a good therapist will always do what they can to deliver their best care.
All mental health professionals on O7 Therapy have been filtered through an intensive and thorough selection process, are all highly professional, are consistently reviewed and held accountable through peer-supervision, have years of experience and require to hold either a Master’s or Doctorate in their field.
