Vlog Summary: This depends on a number of things. Some people feel they have reached a desired understanding and change in their lives after several sessions. It is almost comparable to going to see your doctor for a check-up and learning that your body is running fine and you don’t really need to do anything more.

Other people may attend therapy for a longer time. Your goals and expectations of therapy play an important role in determining how long you stay in therapy. It also depends on how much you bring to sessions, what you choose to share with your therapist, and how open you are to working on issues.

There is no right or wrong length of time to be in therapy. Since you can always learn more about yourself, you may want to continue with therapy until you feel you have reached a point where you have gained all that you can. At this time, you may decide to stop therapy. If you are not sure if you should continue or stop, talking with your therapist about your concerns is helpful.

To cite: Duchesneau, S. (2009, February 15). How Long Can I Expect to be in Therapy? ASC on the Couch. Retrieved (date retrieved), from http://www.ascdeaf.com/blog/?p=355

Vlog Summary: Most people go to therapy once a week, while others may go twice a week. Having twice-weekly appointments does not necessarily mean that someone has more serious issues or is in bad shape. Meeting twice a week can often work very well when you want to focus intensively on issues. If time is of urgency, such as when someone is very sick or dying, or if an out-of-state family member or friend is visiting and joining you for a limited number of sessions, or if there is a pressing decision or a court matter coming up, going to therapy two or even more times a week can be helpful.

Some people do meet for sessions every two weeks or even once a month. It is important to be aware that while this type of arrangement can be beneficial, it also runs the risk of having sessions turn into “catch up” meetings, when most of the session is spent bringing the therapist up to date on the events of the past two or four weeks. It may be difficult to get to root of the real issues. Still, it may be worth trying biweekly or monthly sessions if this is the only option, given insurance, time, and scheduling constraints. Some therapy may be better than none.

Your therapist will help you figure out what works best for you. After attending therapy once a week for a period of time and after you feel satisfied with your progress and goals, you may begin phasing out therapy by scheduling appointments once every two weeks or once a month. You can always go back to more frequent appointments if you need more support later.

To cite: Duchesneau, S. (2009). How Often are Appointments Scheduled? ASC on the Couch. Retrieved (date retrieved), from http://www.ascdeaf.com/blog/?p=351.