By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.
Therapist.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com
Short answer: see a therapist as much as you need, no more, no less.
Longer answer: There is nothing special about the once a week, 50-minute hour, therapy session. Psychoanalysts often see clients twice a week or more. If you have a personality disorder, especially Borderline Personality Disorder, at least 2 to 3 times a week is recommended. Once to work on current problems, once to learn skills to avoid having more crisis type problems and more sessions as needed for addressing the past and long-term suffering.
In substance abuse, the preferred method of treatment is lots of sessions and meetings in the beginning, and then less as time goes on. Many programs begin with residential around the clock treatment to make quick gains followed by daily group sessions to consolidate the gains and lastly weekly follow-up sessions.
In Coaching or goal setting situations a single session may be all you need. That first session is sometimes followed by a booster session every so often.
Most of the time the number of sessions, frequency, and duration of treatment is determined by who is paying. Insurance may limit you. So might public funding. Court-ordered treatment may set a minimum. If you need more sessions your provider should be able to advocate for you and help you get what you need.
The more serious the illness the more treatment will be needed. For some conditions you will need to stay on medication for the rest of your life and that medication will need monitoring even when you discontinue therapy.
The question of how much, how often, and for how long are definitely things to discuss with your provider.
Staying connected with David Joel Miller
Seven David Joel Miller Books are available now!
My newest book is now available. It was my opportunity to try on a new genre. I’ve been working on this book for several years, but now seem like the right time to publish it.
Story Bureau is a thrilling Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic adventure in the Surviving the Apocalypse series.
Baldwin struggles to survive life in a post-apocalyptic world where the government controls everything.
As society collapses and his family gets plunged into poverty, Baldwin takes a job in the capital city, working for a government agency called the Story Bureau. He discovers the Story Bureau is not a benign news outlet but a sinister government plot to manipulate society.
Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.
Dark Family Secrets: Doris wants to get her life back, but small-town prejudice could shatter her dreams.
Casino Robbery Arthur Mitchell escapes the trauma of watching his girlfriend die. But the killers know he’s a witness and want him dead.
Planned Accidents The second Arthur Mitchell and Plutus mystery.
Letters from the Dead: The third in the Arthur Mitchell mystery series.
What would you do if you found a letter to a detective describing a crime and you knew the writer and detective were dead, and you could be next?
Sasquatch. Three things about us, you should know. One, we have seen the past. Two, we’re trapped there. Three, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back to our own time.
For these and my upcoming books; please visit my Author Page – David Joel Miller
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