Anyone who has struggled with mental health issues has asked this question to themselves. When you’re feeling sad, worried or scared, it’s hard to see much around you other than what you are feeling in that moment.

One thing I wish I could tell my clients with any level of certainty is when they’ll start feeling better. Very few come to me feeling happy with how things are going for them and I get asked often “When does it get better?”. As a therapist, it never gets easier to tell them that I don’t know.

For many, it could be only a few weeks, but for some…it could be years before they feel better. I can tell them that it happens slowly and really subtly over time, but once they realize it has gotten better, it’s so freeing. That realization could be the first time they stood up to an overbearing parent or when they told someone “No” after years of saying yes to things or it could happen on a random walk on a Friday afternoon when the realization hits.

Because that realization can happen in a seemingly random way, I like to periodically review with my clients their progress with therapy. Sharing with them what changes I’ve seen has produced some of the coolest interactions in a session. I’ve had clients who were terrified to make a decision when they first started therapy, who now set boundaries and stand up to controlling parents within a few short months, clients who couldn’t even get out of bed when they started therapy who tell me that they showered every day for the last couple weeks. It doesn’t matter what the progress is, I want to celebrate it with them and cheer them on to achieving their goals.

If you’re wondering when it gets better, maybe it’s time to enlist some help from a professional to get you moving in that direction. Therapy can be helpful in doing this, but it isn’t enough on it’s own. If you’re ready to do some work and have an open mind, reach out to a therapist who might be able to help.

DC is accepting new clients in Ohio; contact us for a consultation.

#mentalhealth #progress #therapy #counseling #goals