Frequently Asked Questions
Is therapy helpful?
Yes. There have been many studies that have shown that therapy can effectively reduce and potentially resolve psychological issues. Below are several links providing research to demonstrate this.
This first link is from the American Psychological Association that cites several studies showing the effectiveness of therapy to treat a wide variety of mental health issues:
https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-psychotherapy
Here is a link to a meta-analysis study (research article that looks at a collection of research studies) showing the effectiveness of therapy on depression:
Here is another meta-analysis study showing the effectiveness of therapy and medication for adults with generalize anxiety disorder:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0887618511001459
What will help me to get the most out of therapy?
In general, it is the relationship between the client and therapist or psychologist. The better the relationship, the better the outcome. Thus, you want to make sure you are seeing some-one that you trust and whom you view positively. There should be a trust, shared set of goals, and an ability to effectively deal with negative emotions. If these are present, this is a very positive sign of effective treatment outcome. Here is an article from the Americas Psychologi-cal Association that delves in detail about the importance of therapeutic relationship and an excellent predictor of therapeutic outcome ( https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/11/ce-corner-relationships ). Thus, when selecting a therapist or psychologist, you want to make sure you believe you will have a positive alliance or relationship.
What should I expect once I start therapy?
When you select a therapist or psychologist and attend your first session, you should expect them to have you fill out and sign paperwork, such as confidentiality, practice policy, back-ground information, and potentially some additional documents. When you first meet, the psychologist will review the documents you signed and address any questions, discuss your present problem(s), and general background information. The therapist or psychologist will al-so likely have some type of diagnosis. You should also be assessing if the therapist or psy-chologist is the right person for you to deal with your psychological difficulties and improve your quality of life. If you do not think it is a good fit, it is recommended for you to look for an-other psychologist or therapist.
How long should therapy take?
There is no one size fits all in therapy. For some people, psychotherapy may only last several sessions, while for others it may take years. With that stated, many people attend treatment between 10-20 sessions. In general, short-term and less severe symptoms likely will result in shorter treatment. Conversely, the longer psychological issues have lasted, the further reach-ing their impact, and more severe the symptoms are, the longer treatment may take to be re-solved.
Here is a good short document from the American Psychological Association on this topic. While it from American Psychological Association PTSD guidelines, it can be seen as a good general guide for treatment of a variety of mental health issues:
https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/length-treatment.pdf
How frequently should I meet with a therapist or psychologist?
That will be determined jointly by you and your therapist. To start off, most people meet be-tween once a week or once a month.
This one study suggests that more frequent the treatment during the first three months may lead to better outcomes:
https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-019-2214-4
Is therapy effective via video compared to in person?
While research for video psychotherapy is still in its initial stages of investigation, there have been a number of studies that have looked at its effectiveness. As a whole, research has shown that psychotherapy via video has proven to be as effective compared to in-person for both anxiety and depression. Here is a link that provides a more comprehensive review:
https://focus.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.focus.20180027
How do I know if I have depression or anxiety?
Ultimately, you need to consult with a mental health provider to know that for sure. With that stated, one way to get an idea is by filling out a depression or anxiety basic questionnaire.
One of the most common questionnaires for depression is the PHQ-9:
https://www.med.umich.edu/1info/FHP/practiceguides/depress/phq-9.pdf
For anxiety it is the GAD 7:
https://adaa.org/sites/default/files/GAD-7_Anxiety-updated_0.pdf
They are both free to use. If the results are elevated, then it is recommended to meet with a mental health care provider.
Is therapy or medication more effective?
Overall, they are equally effective. That stated, in certain situations medication may be more effective while in other situations psychotherapy likely produces better results.. When psy-chological issues are severe, both are encouraged. One meta-analysis (study that looks at a group of studies together), indicated that, on average, medication, and psychotherapy yielded
similar results:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wps.20038
However, for some mental health issues, medication is more effective than psychotherapy (e.g., bipolar, schizo-phrenia, other thought disorders). On the other hand, psychotherapy appears to be more ef-fective or suitable than medication for some other conditions (e.g., relationship difficulties, grief, etc.). In addition, it is important to consider the severity of the illness. For example, for severe depression both medication and therapy are recommended, whereas, for milder depression either medication or psychotherapy is recommended. This is also true for other psychological issues, such as the various forms of anxiety. Also, your perception of medication and psycho-therapy is important to consider. Medication and psychotherapy each also come with their own challenges and benefits (e.g., side effects, time, money, etc.). Obviously, each situation and person is different. Thus, you should consult individually with your personal mental health provider.
What is the difference between a counselor, therapist, social worker, psychologist, and psychiatrist?
Counselors, therapists, social workers, and psychologists all provide psychotherapy. They differ in the number of years they attend school. To be called a counselor or therapist you need at least a masters degree in clinical or counseling psychology. Social workers also earn a master's degree, but in social work. Psychologists have a doctorate (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in clini-cal or counseling psychology. Psychologists can also do psychological, intellectual, or achievement-based testing. However, not all psychologists choose to do testing. Psycholo-gists can be called counselors and therapists. However, counselors and therapists cannot be called psychologists. Psychiatrists earn their medical degree (MD) or Doctorate in Osteo-pathic Medicine (DO). They rarely provide psychotherapy and usually focus on prescribing medication.