When seeking psychological support, it’s important to establish a regular schedule of therapy sessions with your mental health professional. It can be tempting to spread out your sessions too soon, due to limited resources (time or money) but doing so can have a negative impact on the therapeutic process. We often use the “dosage” idea when explaining this to client. For any other intervention (think of medications such as antibiotics, or chemotherapy) dosage is a critical part of the treatment. With psychological and dietetic treatment, this is the same.
Here are some reasons why you should not spread out your psychological sessions too soon:
- Consistency is key: Consistency is crucial for making progress in therapy. Regular sessions can help you establish a routine and build/ maintain therapeutic momentum. Spreading out your sessions too soon can interrupt this momentum and make it harder to achieve your goals.
- Therapeutic progress takes time: Making progress in therapy takes time and effort. By spreading out your sessions too soon, you may not be giving yourself enough time to work through your issues and develop the coping skills you need to manage them effectively.
- You may miss important insights: In therapy, you may have important insights or breakthroughs that require further exploration. By spreading out your sessions too soon, you may not be able to fully process these insights, which can hinder your progress in therapy.
- Issues may resurface: If you spread out your sessions too soon, you may not be addressing your underlying issues in a timely manner. This can lead to issues resurfacing and potentially causing more harm to your mental health.
- Your mental health professional may have difficulty tracking progress: When you spread out your sessions too soon, your mental health professional may have difficulty tracking your progress and adjusting your treatment plan accordingly. This can lead to a less effective therapeutic process.
- Your progress may stall which may impact on you questioning its effectiveness: Just like we would not expect antibiotics to work if they were taken at half the frequency or dosage, the same can be said for eating disorder treatment.
In conclusion, it’s important to establish a regular schedule of therapy sessions with your mental health professional. Spreading out your sessions too soon can interrupt the momentum of your therapeutic journey and make it harder to achieve your goals. Consistency is key, and making progress in therapy takes time and effort. By working with your mental health professional to establish a regular schedule of therapy sessions, you can give yourself the best chance for success in your therapeutic journey.
Please contact us if you we can support you in your recovery journey.
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