When Therapy Isn’t Working

Considering a Change of Therapist

It’s essential to first identify why the therapy doesn’t seem effective. Is it due to:

Lack of connection with the therapist?

The methods being used?

External factors affecting engagement or progress? 

The client should feel empowered to discuss their concerns with their therapist. A competent therapist will welcome such feedback and may adjust their approach where they can. Therapy is shown to be more effective when it is adapted to the clients needs and preferences.

As much as therapists go through a lot of training to become experts on helping people create change, clients need to be empowered to be at the centre of any intervention.

This is what is meant by “collaboration”, i.e. we work better when we can align on how to do therapy as a joint process.

Feedback goes both ways - the therapist offers feedback to the client and vice versa.

It's important to remember that therapy is often a gradual process. Initial progress might be slow, and it’s common to go through periods of discomfort or feeling like there’s little change. 

Change also doesn’t typically occur in a linear fashion. In other words, the process of making changes happens in spurts, and setbacks often occur.

It can be difficult to bring up issues we are having in the therapeutic process and it takes courage to reveal what feels vulnerable to us.

This is a normal part of the therapeutic process, if that helps to know. Of course, there can be other reasons why you may not be getting the help you need, but voicing your concerns is a great step to take towards getting the results you want and need.

It’s important to be patient and persistent with the process. Therapy often involves working through difficult and deeply rooted issues, which takes time and effort. However, this doesn’t mean sticking out therapy when it’s not working.

Do you feel like you and your therapist are working towards goals that feel aligned with what you are wanting to get out of therapy?

Do they help you to understand how the time you spend in therapy is helping you?

Let’s normalise feeling the desire to change therapists, but also…

If they don’t want to address the problem or sidestep your concern by making it about ‘what it’s bringing up for you’ then this may be problematic.

They should be open to discussing your concerns, and if they do feel that it is about resistance to the therapeutic process, then that is a good thing and can be discussed towards a resolution or more ability to work with what is coming up in the process.