Indications You May Need a New Counselor:

Indications You May Need a New Counselor:

Navigating the timeline of working with a top-notch therapist can be tricky, especially when you might not need them anymore. It's natural to outgrow your therapist, even if it may seem strange, and it's often a testament to your personal growth, as Patrice Le Goy, PhD, LMFT, a Los Angeles-based couples therapist, indicates.

In Le Goy's professional opinion, the goal is to empower patients with the tools they've learned so they no longer depend on therapy. This might involve taking a break or switching to a specialist who can address your evolving concerns more effectively.

Still, figuring out when to move on isn't always a straightforward process. Below are some subtler signs that could help you gauge whether you've "graduated" from your regular sessions.

1. Accomplishing Your Initial Goals

Reflect on the reasons that initially led you to therapy. Perhaps it was battling a specific fear or recovering from a particularly difficult breakup. As Dr. Le Goy mentioned, people often set out to tackle a specific crisis. Once you've achieved the desired outcome – conquering your fear of flying or feeling emotionally prepared to dip your toes back into the dating pool – you may feel ready to move on or continue your self-improvement journey elsewhere.

If your therapist doesn't initiate regular reviews to see if your goals have been met or require adjustments, feel free to initiate the conversation yourself. From there, you can decide if there's further room to grow with your current provider, or if it's time to venture into new territory.

2. Addressing Specialties Your Current Therapist Doesn't Specialize In

Remember, no therapist can be an expert in every field. So, as your needs and priorities change, it might make sense to transition to a practitioner better suited to your changing circumstances. For example, if your current counselor helped you tackle commitment issues, but now you require EMDR therapy to delve deeper into trauma, it's perfectly acceptable to seek help from someone with the proper credentials.

Personal preference could also play a role in the decision. A new parent, for instance, might appreciate the guidance of a therapist with children who can empathize from a lived experience. Similarly, someone exploring their sexuality for the first time might benefit from a practitioner with extensive experience working with LGBTQ+ clients to provide an understanding, judgment-free environment.

3. Sessions Feeling Overly Familiar or Repetitive

If your sessions resemble routine (perhaps tedious) check-ins more than substantial conversations, you might have successfully addressed the core issues that initially brought you to therapy. These low-key catch-ups are not necessarily negative, as they can still provide a valuable space for discussing life updates.

However, if you crave more introspection and growth in therapy, repetitive positive conversations may signal that you're ready for new challenges.

4. Lack of New Insights

One of the biggest draws of therapy is the opportunity to gain new strategies to tackle issues and learn from a trained professional. After making significant strides, though, you may notice a shift – perhaps the therapist's guidance queries are no longer leading to the same breakthroughs, or you're going through similar exercises over and over again. Instead of leaving sessions with useful insights, you might think, "I didn't need this appointment today."

It's possible that this means you've internalized their advice and are managing on your own. However, if you've reached this level of self-awareness, it's worth considering the future of your mental health journey. For some, it's about continuing to put what they've learned into practice, while for others, it might mean exploring different approaches and skill sets from a new therapist.

5. Reduced Frequencies Recommended by Therapist (And It Feels Right)

After consistently putting in the effort, unpacking tough emotions, and observing the changes you've done your best to achieve, your therapist might suggest scaling back to biweekly or even monthly sessions. Or they may propose a gentle exit strategy as a sign that your bond may have reached its natural conclusion.

"It doesn't mean anything's wrong, and it's not something to take personally," Dr. Le Goy explains. Indeed, scaling back usually signals progress, not a setback. "It's a difficult conversation to have, but I discuss this early on when I'm confident my patient is ready to manage challenges independently," Dr. Le Goy adds.

Whether you opt for periodic maintenance check-ins, seek the expertise of another therapist, or decide to take a break from therapy altogether, the ultimate decision is yours, and any therapist who truly has your best interest at heart should be supportive of your choice.

Regardless of whether you've graduated from your current therapist, you'll always have the option to reconnect for additional support when the need arises.

Related:

• 7 Therapist Red Flags You Should Never Ignore
• How to Persuasively Encourage a Loved One to Seek Therapy
• 6 Irksome Habits that Therapists Annoyingly Urge You to Ditch for Your Mental Health

1. As your initial therapy goals have been accomplished, take time to reflect on the reasons that led you to seek help, and if you now feel ready to tackle new challenges, consider discussing a potential reduction in sessions with your therapist or exploring various self-improvement opportunities in education-and-self-development such as health-and-wellness workshops, mental-health courses, or books on personal-growth.
2. If you find that your current therapist does not specialize in the increasingly relevant areas of your life – like EMDR therapy for trauma or assistance from a therapist with personal experiences of parenthood or extensive work with LGBTQ+ clients – it might be time to explore relationship with a therapist who can cater to your evolving concerns more effectively.
3. When therapy sessions become overly familiar and repetitive, it may be a sign that you have successfully addressed the core issues that brought you to therapy. As a result, you might crave deeper exploration and self-growth, suggesting that it's time to seek out a different therapist to help propel your mental health journey forward.
4. If you are no longer experiencing new insights in your sessions, it may indicate that you have internalized your therapist's advice and are now managing on your own. In this case, you might consider continuing to practice what you've learned, seeking guidance from a new therapist, or even taking a break from therapy altogether.
5. When your therapist suggests reducing the frequency of your sessions, it is a signal that progress has been made, but the decision about whether to schedule periodic maintenance check-ins, seek a different therapist, or take a break from therapy is solely yours. Any supportive therapist will support your choice.
6. Navigating the timeline of working with a therapist can be tricky, but by paying attention to subtle signs like achievements of initial goals, specialization limitations, repetitiveness in sessions, lack of new insights, or reduced frequencies, you will be better equipped to gauge when it's time to "graduate" from regular sessions and decide on the next steps in your health-and-wellness and mental-health journey.

Read also: