Will I have to commit to a certain number of therapy sessions?
No. Participation in therapy is totally voluntary.
A recommendation of timeline, frequency, and estimated number of visits to meet your goals will be discussed, but you should never be forced to continue. Your progress should be assessed in an ongoing and collaborative manner with your provider.
If at any point you are feeling that the sessions are no longer helpful, or you are unsure if you’re still making progress, this should be discussed with your therapist. This isn’t personal, and a good therapist won’t take it personally. If this comes up, the focus should be on working together to meet your needs and goals whether that means discontinuing sessions for now, changing the focus or intervention style, or considering a referral to a different provider.
No one therapist is the right fit for everyone, so expecting that a client would be able to commit up front to a certain number of sessions is not reasonable. Some exceptions could be situations like educational and/or group therapy services because these are sometimes offered in a rotation or series.
Never be afraid to ask what to expect. Most providers will be happy to provide you with the information you need to make the best decision for your mental health care. If the provider is elusive or defensive about answering your questions, he or she may not be the right fit for you.
Click here for more information about what to expect from services with Dr. Stodard.