The benefits of therapy are many. Using therapy as a mental health tool can help people develop healthy coping skills, identify why they may be experiencing symptoms of mental health issues, set boundaries with people in your life to improve relationships, and much more. However, if you have never been to therapy before or if therapy is new to you, you may be wondering some things about therapy like, what do I talk about in therapy sessions?

When You Run Out of Things to Talk About

If you’re just starting out with therapy, you may be wondering what you should be talking about. There really isn’t a limit as to what you can bring to therapy, but it can be helpful to start with the basics – what you’re feeling, the symptoms you’re experiencing, your thought processes that lead to negative behaviors, your past experiences with trauma, and any harmful behaviors that you’ve developed along the way to cope with unwanted thoughts/feelings.

After some time, you may begin to think that you’ve touched on it all in therapy. In these moments, it can be helpful to bring this up with your therapist so that you can work together to pinpoint other areas of thought during your sessions. And, build a more trusting relationship with your therapist. When you’re honest with yourself and your therapist about how you are feeling stuck with therapy, this can help to normalize these feelings and allow you to digest this moment of discomfort before working together to find other avenues to use during therapy.

If you are feeling stuck about what to talk about during therapy sessions or you are just starting therapy and don’t know what to talk about, there are a few things you can try bringing up including:

The Emotions You’re Feeling

One of the most obvious things you can bring up and talk about during therapy sessions is how you’re feeling. When in therapy, you have a safe and supportive place to explore how you feel and even attempt to identify why you’re feeling this way. Even if you’re feeling more emotion than one, therapy is a place where you can better identify and learn to accept the emotions you deal with on a daily basis. So, whether you’re feeling positive or down, therapy sessions are an avenue to explore your feelings and identify your emotions – especially if you’re struggling with what you can talk about during therapy sessions.

Things You’ve Experienced

What we have already lived through plays a huge part in who we are today. Therapy is an optimal place to bring up your past experiences that you believe made you who you are. This includes both positive and negative (like traumatic) experiences. Exploring what you’ve been through can help you pinpoint why you may have developed unhealthy coping mechanisms and determine healthier ways to deal with triggers in your daily life.

Relationships You Have

During therapy, you are able to talk about anything that’s going on in your life, including relationships. The relationships we have and make along the way in life are essential for our mental health and well-being. And, identifying how we play a part in these relationships can help us maintain healthier and happier relationships. So, if you’re not sure what to bring up or talk about in therapy, it may be a good idea to talk about your family, friendships, and intimate relationships.

Getting Started With Therapy at Yellowbrick

Want to see what benefits you can get out of therapy? Yellowbrick offers therapy programs for emerging adults and their families who are struggling with mental health issues like eating disorders, trauma, addiction, and more. Find out more about our programs from our website.