A guide to individual therapy
If you’ve already been to individual therapy, you likely know its power. If
you’ve never been to therapy, you may need more convincing. You might be
wondering: “What is individual counseling? What are the true value of therapy
sessions?”
Whatever the approach, we hope that our information will lead you to one place —
The “Tailor Your Behavior” (TYB) experience — where a demonstrated track
record of compassion inspire clients across the U.S. to improve their lives.
Allow us to be a tour guide to feeling more of your feelings, cultivating deeper
human relationships, and being a bit easier on yourself. We know individual
therapy finds people when they’re ready. When it does, you’ll have the facts to
make your journey successful.
What Is Individual Therapy?
Individual therapy refers to one-on-one mental health treatment that is personalized
to suit an individual’s unique needs. It involves setting therapeutic goals, processes
one’s past, and learning how to manage one’s symptoms or triggers in order to live
a healthier life.
Individual therapy is almost always conducted with one client and one provider in
a one-on-one setting, but it can include another person on occasion—only when it
is relevant to an individual’s treatment plan and goals.
What Type of Therapy Is Individual Therapy?
There is no set type of therapy used in individual therapy. Instead, the type of
therapy used will be “Tailored” to the needs and symptoms of the client. The Tailor
Your Behavior Model, draws from multiple modalities for a customized approach
to each unique situation. Putting the therapy process as priority, rather than the
theories that guide it. Focusing on our clients’ needs as the priority, rather than the
theories that guide it. So, client obstacles are addressed with clarity.
Talking to a Therapist vs. Friend or Family Member.
Why should someone hire a therapist rather than just talk through their problems
with a friend or family member?
It’s great to have someone in your life to whom you feel comfortable opening up,
but a therapist brings something a little different to the table, such as:
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Training to empathize with their clients’ experience without becoming overwhelmed, running away, jumping in to fix it, or telling you that it’s not a big deal. This makes them expert listeners.
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Find your blind spots. Friends may often tell you what you want to hear, while therapists will ask more focused/effective questions, without judgment, creating a comfortable environment to question one’s thoughts and behaviors.
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Find your inner strengths. They can hear your personal story and identify the underlying characteristics that will eventually drive change.
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Develop an intuition listening to a client’s presenting problems while also attending to their deeper struggles paired with their strengths.
Talking to a Therapist vs. Self-help
There is no denial that self-help/self-care and self-improvement strategies translate
into happiness. However, the magic of therapy occurs through human connection,
not solo exploration. A great therapist knows that you already have the answers
inside you—books and wellness websites can’t always unlock them. For that, you
may need a trusted, insightful guide.
What Does Individual Therapy Focus On?
Individual therapy focuses on the individual’s personal goals. Examples include:
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ï‚· I want to feel better about myself.
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ï‚· I want to break a cycle and quit making the same mistakes.
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ï‚· I want to feel less depressed or anxious.
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ï‚· I want to become better at tolerating stress and frustration.
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ï‚· I want to find more meaning in my life.
It’s often the case that current problems can sometimes be a gateway to exploring
longer-standing patterns in your life. In general, the duration of therapy lasts about
six months in order to effectively treat any acute symptoms as well as explore any
chronic ones that may be occurring.
Therapists are skilled at helping clients discover their own motivation and ability
to effect real, long-term change. Our evidence-based practices demonstrated to be
most effective, when there is a strong alliance between counselor/therapist and
client. This means that the client feels safe, supported, heard, and understood. As a
result, sharing their goals and has their client’s best interests at heart.
Although there are common focuses for individual therapy, client goals are
probably going to change as the process unfolds.
Characteristics of Individual Counseling
​Depending on the condition being treated, the specialization of the provider, and
personality of the client, determines how clinicians chose the appropriate therapy.
Great therapy is often flexible and integrative, moving from one approach to
another as the session demands. Just because a particular intervention doesn’t have
the support of decades of empirical research, it doesn’t mean it won’t work for a
client.
Types of Psychotherapy
Types of Individual Counseling (Psychotherapy) include the following:
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ï‚· Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
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Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT)
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Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
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Dialectical Behavior therapy (DBT)
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Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
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Somatic experiencing
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Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
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Stress Inoculation Training (SIT)
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Motivational Interviewing (MI)
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Reality therapy
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Narrative Therapy
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Adlerian therapy
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Schema therapy
Types Of Therapy can also be categorized by what they help with, and who they aim to help. For example: ï‚·
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Family Therapy, Child Therapy, Teen Counseling, Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and Substance Abuse Counseling, Vocational/Career counseling, etc.
Group Therapy vs. Individual Therapy?
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Group therapy can be highly effective for some people, especially those that
feel alone and need support from people that understand what they’re going
through, while others may be much more comfortable and open to growth in
an individual therapy setting. Many people often do group counseling
alongside individual therapy. This approach is often helpful for individuals
who have a deeper struggle with emotion regulation, couples and families, as
hey can use the work they’ve done in individual therapy to help bettert
nderstand themselves and the dynamics brought up in group therapy settings. -
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is frequently the gold standard of the
psychotherapy field. Extensive research has demonstrated its success in treating
depression, anxiety disorders, and a host of other mental health issues. However,
he best therapy modality for you will be the one that treats your issue. Cognitivet Behavior Therapy (CBT) seeks to challenge and reframe unhelpful or distressing thoughts as well as modify problematic behaviors by assuming that one’s feelings,thoughts, and behaviors are each connected to one another. -
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) seeks to help people regulate and tolerate
deeper triggers of their emotions by challenging them to accept the reality of
their life, create a life worth living and finding a middle path. As a result,
orienting clients towards “what works” in helping them learn how to cope and
change problem behaviors. Thus, enabling individuals to become positive
productive members of society. The research demonstrates, individuals who
receive treatment via evidence-based practices (ebp) for their mental health, can
help communities become more self-aware, more attuned to the needs of the
people in it, and better equipped to deal with the world around them.
How to Find the Right Therapist for You?
​​Finding the right therapist is both a science and an art. If you’ve never given much
thought to exactly what type of therapist you’d like to see, you can start with some
basic questions:
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Do I feel more comfortable talking to a person of my same gender, racial or ethnic background, or religion?
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Do I have an existing mental health condition and need a therapist who has experience treating it?
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When and how will I be most comfortable meeting with a therapist? Can the
therapist accommodate my needs? -
Is the therapist available quickly?
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Is the therapist in my health insurance network?
Many of these questions can be answered online and by viewing clinicians’ profiles. It’s our deepest self-fulfillment, being able to end up changing someone’s life for the better.
What to Expect From an Individual Therapy Session?
If you’re nervous about going to individual therapy for the first time, we totally
understand. Daily life has a way of keeping our vulnerable psyches under wraps,
and therapy threatens to expose our soft spots. Noteworthy, most people don’t end
up spilling their guts in the first session. Mostly, it’s a time to develop a bond with
your therapist and establishing loose goals for what you want out of your
experience.
It's normal that you don’t like the first provider you meet with. You don’t think you
can trust them, or the vibes are just off. You can always switch — breaking up with
a therapist can be a sign of growth and knowing what you want. Therapists are
used to this and they are more than capable of managing their own feelings of
rejection. The most important thing is that you find someone with whom you can
work well.
Finally, remember that therapeutic progress isn’t linear. You might have
phenomenal sessions where you walk out feeling like you have a new lease on life,
and you might have sessions where you feel worse than when you came in. Keep
going. Tell your therapist when you feel like you’ve figured everything out, and
tell them when you feel disappointed. This feedback is vital in steering the
dynamic of therapeutic process.
Benefits Of Individual Therapy
One of the primary benefits of individual counseling is realizing that change is a
choice. People tend to get caught up in patterns of thinking and behaving,
assuming we can maintain these learned behaviors because they’ve worked for us
in the past. They’re safe and familiar, while change is scary and uncertain.
Breaking free from obstacles of disruptive barriers, means allowing clients to self-
reflect by holding up a compassionate mirror, allowing these individuals to view
who they really are, and who they’re capable of becoming. Old patterns are viewed
as not serving justice and include skill restructuring to help them evolve out of
their self-damaging behaviors.
Naturally, the therapeutic process can be emotionally painful at times, exhausting
from hard work; yet, its rewards have huge payoff through life’s challenges. It’s
often necessary to become fully aware of your feelings in order to build a healthier
autonomy. Therapy is a safe place to feel…everything. After all, when we hide
from our pain, it tends to surface elsewhere, usually in unhealthy ways.
Can Individual Therapy Help Me?
Some people still believe that you’re required to be in crisis to book a
psychotherapy session—for example, if you’re suffering from an acute mental
health issue, or you’re severely traumatized, or someone you love just died. But
individual therapy can help people with a variety of issues, from the most low-
level dissatisfaction with life to the highest levels of dysfunction.
You don’t have to compare your suffering against anyone else’s. You don’t have to
say, “Oh my problems aren’t that bad.” Why not just be kind to yourself? Say, “I’m
hurting. And I’d like to talk about it to someone who will truly listen.” If you’re
even thinking about going to therapy, it’s probably time to book a session.
Everyone deserves the care to feel better.
Going to therapy isn’t shameful, it’s a way of reconnecting with yourself, and
knowing you’re not alone.
How to Succeed in Individual Therapy
To succeed in individual therapy and gain self-acceptance and self-knowledge, you
must be open with your therapist. It’s okay if this takes time. Therapists are very
patient people; but you need to commit yourself to being honest and accountable.
If you’re having trouble with the process, tell your counselor. Your feedback is
often enlightening, and can lead to greater insight. These benefits tend to have a
trickle-down effect in life, improving relationships, compassion, coping skills,
mental health issues, maladaptive behaviors, and much more.
Our team is committed to always learning how to serve clients better and advise
clients how they can succeed in therapy. We look forward to serving you.