One on One Therapy

Mental health refers to an individual’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioral health. It encompasses how people think, feel, and behave.

Mental health can affect your everyday life, relationships, and even your physical health—and vice versa. Factors in your personal life, including physical factors and interpersonal relationships, can influence your mental well-being.

Taking care of your mental health can improve your ability to live a happy, healthy, fulfilling life. Above all else, maintaining positive mental health requires reaching a balance between your personal life, responsibilities, and psychological resilience. For some people, striking this balance may require self-care, meditation, social support, counseling, medication, or a combination of these.

How do I know if I need therapy?

If you’re experiencing mental health issues, you’re not alone. In the United States, approximately one in five adults experience mental health concerns each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

If your mental health causes distress or interferes with your daily life, it might be time to seek therapy. Psychological distress may come in the form of negative feelings, thoughts, behaviors, or even physical symptoms, such as unexplained aches and fatigue.

If you’re unhappy, stressed, or constantly feeling overwhelmed, individual therapy can help you identify and navigate your mental health concerns. Counseling can also serve as a valuable resource if you find it difficult to focus on school or work, experience addiction, or struggle to form close relationships with others.

Even if you’re not experiencing any mental health issues or symptoms, therapy provides a safe place to talk through life challenges such as grief, family issues, and academic stress. For example, family counseling can help parents and children work through relationship issues and learn healthier ways to communicate with each other.

Types of Talk Therapy

Just like physical therapy (PT), there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health therapy, and some types of treatment work better than others when treating different mental health issues. Some common types of talk therapy include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT, one of the most popular and effective types of psychotherapy, helps people identify the relationship between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Through CBT, individuals can learn how to replace problematic thought patterns with more positive ones.
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): Originally used in the treatment of borderline personality disorder, DBT helps people cope with stress, improve interpersonal relationships, and regulate their emotions.
• Interpersonal therapy (IPT): IPT helps people address life transitions, relationship conflicts, grief, and other attachment issues. Through IPT, individuals can strengthen interpersonal relationships, which can then serve as an important support network during the recovery process.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): ACT teaches mindfulness skills to help individuals live more consistently with their values and beliefs.
• Psychodynamic psychotherapy: Psychodynamic therapy, or psychoanalysis, helps people understand how past experiences may affect their thought patterns and behaviors.

In addition to different types of therapy, many mental health specialists offer several therapeutic interventions, including:

• One-on-one therapy, or individual therapy, involves a joint process between you and your therapist. During individual therapy sessions, conversations are typically led by the therapist. Your therapist may focus on topics such as past experiences, current mental health concerns, relationships, and feelings to help make connections and provide valuable insights.
• Group therapy involves one or more mental health counselors working with several people at the same time. During group sessions, individuals can connect with others, share experiences, and receive support and encouragement from other members of the group.
• Couples counseling, or couples therapy, can help partners learn how to navigate relationship issues and communicate more effectively.
• Family therapy helps family members improve their communication skills and resolve conflicts. Even after therapy is over, family therapy can lead to deepened family connections, giving families the skills they need to get through stressful times.

What should I expect from individual therapy?

Therapy is a deeply personal experience, and everyone’s mental health journey is different. When you start individual therapy, sessions will be tailored to your specific needs to help you take care of your mental health. During your first session, your therapist may ask you about your mental health concerns, family history, career, and past experiences with mental health.

As your treatment progresses, you should expect to open up about your concerns. It’s normal to feel nervous before your therapy sessions—and it’s important to remember that your counselor is available to help you every step of the way. Individual therapy provides a safe space to confidentially talk through problems or situations with a trained mental health specialist. Over time, therapy can help you build resilience, providing you with the tools needed to cope with challenging situations in healthy ways.

Going to therapy might feel challenging on some days, but it’s essential to attend each therapy session and complete your assignments. Above all else, being patient and sticking to your treatment plan can boost your long-term success in therapy.

How long does talk therapy last?

Generally, individual counseling sessions last between 45 and 60 minutes. The frequency of your therapy sessions and their duration will depend on several factors, such as:

• Your mental health condition and its severity
• The extent to which mental health concerns affect your everyday life
• How much psychological distress the issue causes
• How quickly your mental health improves during therapy

While short-term talk therapy can address some mental health issues over a few weeks, more complex concerns may require longer-term treatment. In some cases, individuals may need to attend therapy for a year or more to noticeably improve their mental well-being.

How effective is individual therapy?

Although therapy cannot cure many mental health conditions, it can help individuals develop healthy coping skills to cope with mental health concerns in day-to-day life. To succeed in meeting your therapeutic goals and forming a positive relationship with your therapist, you’ll need to put in the time and effort. Similar to finding the right physical therapist, working with a therapist you feel comfortable with is an essential component to any successful treatment plan.

Therapy can help reduce the frequency of relapses of common mental health conditions, including mild depression and anxiety. Research also shows that the positive effects of individual counseling extend beyond treatment, with many people reporting improved mental health long after therapy has ended.

For many people, counseling is more effective than medication or medical treatment alone. Further, many therapeutic interventions are evidence-based, with years of clinical observations and research studies backing their effectiveness.

How to Find the Right Therapist

Finding a mental health professional you feel comfortable with can help you get the most out of your therapy sessions. When you’re honest and open during your therapy sessions, your therapist will be able to better address your mental health concerns and tailor your treatment plan to suit your specific needs.

To find the right therapist, reach out to a mental health professional through the Therapy Group of NYC. Our experienced, compassionate mental health specialists will help you navigate your mental health concerns, learn healthy coping strategies, and take control of your mental health with personalized, data-driven treatment. Whether you’re interested in group therapy or individual counseling, we’re here to listen and support you through your challenges.