"How long will I need to come?" is another one of the first questions people often ask before starting therapy. The honest answer is that how long therapy takes depends on what you're working on and what you want from it.
What Affects How Long Therapy Takes
- Your goals. If you are working through a specific situation, like a present life transition or a difficult decision, this often takes less time than exploring long-standing patterns or unpacking large parts of your story.
- How long it's been going on. Something you've carried for years typically takes longer to work through than something more recent.
- How often you meet. Regular sessions, especially at the beginning, helps build momentum. There is a difference between meeting weekly for four months versus monthly for a year.
- What you implement between sessions. Transferring the skills you’re gaining in therapy into everyday life matters is as conducive to your growth as the conversations in the room.
How Often Should You Go to Therapy?
Many people start with weekly sessions and move to every other week or even monthly as they feel steadier and notice desired changes in their life. There's no single right schedule. You and your therapist will decide together what fits your goals, schedule, and budget. As a private pay practice, we don't have insurance-imposed session limits, so that decision gets to be yours. If you aren’t sure how that works, check out our recent post about the benefits of out-of-network therapy.
How Will I Know When I'm Ready to Finish?
You may be close if you're using new coping skills on your own, your initial struggles feel more manageable, and you feel more confident handling what comes up on your own and with the help of your support system. Ending therapy is best done as a conversation, rather than a sudden stop, and many people taper down to less frequent sessions first before stopping completely.
FAQ
Is therapy a lifelong commitment? No. You ultimately decide how long to engage and can pause or end therapy at any time.
Can therapy work in just a few sessions? For some focused concerns, yes. Most others need more time. Your therapist can give you a realistic sense based on your goals once you've begun.
What if I don't feel better right away? That's very common early on. Tell your therapist, because adjusting their approach might be a part of the process. It would be a mistake to just stop without discussing this concern and giving them the chance to understand more of what you’re looking for.
Start Therapy in Centennial, CO
The first step is to simply get started. If you're in Centennial, CO or the greater Denver metro area and looking for a therapist near me, we're happy to talk through what the process could look like for you. Contact us today to schedule a consultation, or read our post, “What to Expect at your First Session” to know what comes first.