Building trust with a therapist is incredibly important for therapy to be helpful. But it can be difficult because many of those who seek therapy have already faced their portion of judgment, criticism, and mental health stigma. Needless to say, that trust issues can be a part of a mental health problem, to begin with.
It’s good to remember, that building relationship with a therapist requires time, patience, and dedication, just like any other relationship in our lives. So in this post, I would like to share with you 5 ways how you can build trust with your therapist assuming that you are ready to make that commitment.
Do your research
You can’t know a person by simply reading about their life, education, and experience. But you can definitely learn something. As I have stated in my previous article, conducting research before your consultation may help you ask the right questions during a therapy session. You can also check their background to find out whether your therapist has a history of any violations.
Take your time to build trust with your therapist
You absolutely don’t need to open up during the first or even second therapy sessions. Take your time to get to know your therapist a little bit better: their style, their personality, their familiarity with your problem.
Start sharing bits of information slowly, and see how they respond to it. It’s in your best interest to be open and honest in therapy, but you can take time to build trust.
Pay attention to red flags
Mental health provider is not a perfect human being. But there are definitely some red flags you want to pay attention to. If they exhibit unethical behaviors, judge you or/and your values, make experimental recommendations, consider cutting ties, or at least bring it up during therapy to avoid future misunderstanding.
Don’t gaslight yourself. If you feel like something is off in your communication with your therapist, respect that. Remember, it doesn’t need to have a logical explanation.
Be honest about your expectations
Having expectations isn’t wrong. But it’s important that they are realistic. If you have been struggling with something for many years, expecting that you will feel better after 2 sessions is not realistic. However, no matter what those expectations you have are, I encourage you to be open about it with your therapist. You don’t even need to get too personal. Share what goals you want to achieve through therapy and what effort you would like to put into it.
After some time, reevaluate. If your expectations haven’t been met at all and goals were not achieved, consider talking to your therapist about it. You do want to see results in a form of positive change from therapy.
Be patient to build trust with your therapist
As I have stated earlier, you don’t need to put up with something that your therapist says or does that doesn’t align with your core values or simply doesn’t sit right with you. However, any relationship requires time and patience.
Here you have to be honest with yourself. Maybe it’s your trust issues that “fail” you in therapy, and your therapist needs more time to figure out how to help you.
Be patient with yourself and try to be patient with your therapist, if you feel like there’s some potential there.
Again, a therapist is a human being, not a superhero. They can’t read your mind or magically transform your life. What they can help you with though is to be there for you, to listen, and to guide you towards finding the best solutions for your unique situation.
Did you learn something from this post? Share below. As always, spread the word by sharing this message with anyone who needs it at this time. You can schedule your first therapy session or consultation with Dr. Black here.
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