Am I a good client?

I’ve had clients apologize for crying during the session, for saying something bad about a relative or friend or for talking too much. This is like apologizing to the grocer for buying too much food or too little., for buying too many sweets or not enough veggies.

Therapy is not about trying to be the best client you could be. It’s about being genuine, so we get a good glimpse of the way you see the world. If you’re polite and appropriate, you attend the sessions consistently and let the therapist know when you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment, and you make sure your provider always gets reimbursed for their work, you’re good.

What happens during the session is for the therapist to worry about, process and use to help you process. Don’t worry about saying too much or too little, crying too much or not crying at all, spilling your guts, or staying private most of the time. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, there’s your way and someone else’s way.

If something comes up during the session that could possibly become an obstacle in the therapeutic process, your therapist will bring it up as something that has to be addressed in order to continue services (frequent cancelations or lateness, interruption of payment, being under the influence during the session or not participating at all in the conversation, among other things).

When in doubt, ask your therapist. Bring up your concerns. Therapy is not about impressing the therapist but about getting you help. Don’t leave any stone unturned.