Tag: expressing feelings in therapy

opening up

How To Feel Comfortable Opening Up in Therapy

Opening up causes many people to panic. After all, not everyone feels comfortable displaying emotional vulnerability. However, if you want to change your life via therapy, opening up is crucial to your success with individual counseling in Tucson, AZ. The following tips explain how to overcome the worry and get the counseling you need.

Opening Up in Therapy

These pointers will help you open up in therapy. 

Don’t Worry About the First Session

Some people starting therapy wonder how they’ll ever feel comfortable opening up. They think they must have it all figured out before starting the work.

Therapists work with many people who don’t know what to expect from the first session and who dread discussing their lives with anyone, anywhere. A therapist won’t expect you to show up and understand the process. Showing up for that first session takes a lot of courage, so commit to that right now.

You are there to construct a course of action that helps you achieve goals that set you on a preferred course. However, the first session is the first step. The more you open up with time, the more your therapist will understand what you want to achieve. Focus on taking baby steps to reach your long-term objectives, including your goal of opening up.

Write What You Want To Discuss

In your first session, you might find that writing what you want to achieve works better than talking about it. You can do that before the session, and it will still count as therapeutic communication.

Give your writing to the therapist and explain that you wrote your thoughts and goals because you have problems vocally expressing feelings in therapy. You can also email your words if sitting there while someone reads them makes you cringe. Remember those baby steps when you are worried about overcoming barriers in therapy.

Look at Therapy as a Choice You Made 

Began building trust in therapy by viewing it as a choice you made. Next, consider that choice an opportunity to strategize actions to gain relief from habits that inhibit your well-being. In therapy, that means you have to open up.

Adopting this viewpoint gives you a sense of control over the process. After all, you know that when you open up, it is good for you. And just like a child learning to eat vegetables, time and patience will show you that you can appreciate the essential elements you are receiving from the process. This approach teaches you a gentle, manageable way of participating in therapy that won’t stress you out. 

If You Are Looking for Therapy in Tucson, Contact In Balance Counseling 

In Balance Counseling is an established reputable counseling service in Tucson. We work with many clients who have expressed fear about therapy session openness. Our gentle yet direct approach has proven successful with clients who don’t like the idea of opening up yet want to attain goals through significant behavior and thought modifications.

Contact us at 520-772-9631 for more information about what to expect from first therapy session and to book your first appointment. 

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