What to Talk About In Therapy?

Are you going through life transitions and looking for someone to talk to? Or Is your mind in trouble, but you can’t talk about it with your friends or family?

Consider getting therapy. Therapy is a treatment option that helps you deal with mental stress or emotional issues.

There are various types of therapy available depending on the severity and nature of the issue. However, Talk therapy or psychotherapy entails sessions in which you discuss your problems with a professional psychologist or psychiatrist.

Now, there’s a problem you might run into after scheduling your first appointment: Not knowing, What to talk about in therapy.

Why Is It Important ?

Although your mind is aware of the session, it may not be ready to engage in an open conversation with a stranger. As a result, your therapy experience may be awkward. 

To some extent, you can avoid this by making a list of Things to talk about in therapy. This list will also come in handy if you run out of ideas for future sessions. 

Additionally, this list will assist you in making sure that you have covered all of the topics that could be a contributing factor to depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and traumatic experiences.

Important Note

Some of you might struggle with trust issues and require more sessions than others to fully open yourself. That’s absolutely OK. Daily small steps add up to enormous progress.

15 Things To Talk To Therapist About? 

1) Why did You Choose therapy? (H4 Tag)

If you are a beginner, you can begin your session by discussing why you chose therapy. It can be anything. From minor issues such as lack of concentration at work to more serious issues such as loneliness, panic attacks, insomnia, and others.

In addition, You can also discuss your expectations and comfort for this therapy with your therapist, which will help you shape your goals.

2) Your History of Therapy

You may have had prior therapy experience. If this is the case, sharing your therapeutic history :

• Will save you time from having to start from scratch.
• Your therapist will have a better idea of how to move your therapy forward.
• you and your therapist will know what methods worked, what didn’t, your triggers, and more.

3) Your Relationships

Your relationships, both past and present, have a significant impact on your life. Negative experiences or expectations from your relationships with friends, family, or someone special can have an impact on your mood, attitude and outlook on life. 

In some cases, the severity of the problem can lead to strong emotions such as rage, self-loathing, and so on.

As a result, discussing your relationships with a therapist will both relieve you and assist him in better understanding the source of your problems.

4) Your work life

Your state or how you feel at work is a key factor in deciding how much pressure you are under at work. Share your problem with your therapist if it is specifically related to work. 

Therapists can assess your professional interests, work attitude, work environment, and interactions with colleagues. 

Thus, provide advice on how to deal with workplace stress.

5) Your Weakness

Are you feeling stuck in your goals? Then, there’s no better time to discuss your flaws. Schedule a therapy session and just spit it out. 

Whatever you believe is preventing you from achieving your goals or relationships, such as a lack of communication, a lack of confidence, being an introvert, and so on. 

Talk openly to your therapist.

6) Past Traumas

You may have discussed the present well enough, but it is also necessary to discuss the past. The pain you’re experiencing could be related to past traumas.

Trauma is any experience that leaves you feeling alone, helpless, afraid of the future, and so forth. Your trauma may have its roots in childhood sexual abuse, parent divorce, a loved one’s death, teenage bullying, and other events.

Some people may only be traumatized for a few weeks or months. Because, they discover a coping mechanism and feel better as a result. Others, on the other hand, may experience trauma for a longer period of time and develop a mental health condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder. 

So, if you really want to overcome your pain, talk to your therapist about your traumas. It aids him in bridging the gap between the cause and your pain.

7) Trigger Points 

The sound of crackers bursting or a strong smell may cause you to feel overwhelmed. However, you frequently find yourself thinking, “Why am I feeling this way?” If so, speak with a therapist so they can help you identify and manage your triggers.

8) Mood Swings

You may experience a sudden mood shift. The cause could be anything from minor hormonal changes to symptoms of a mood disorder like depression or bipolar disorder.

Your therapist can assist you in managing your mood swings. He can assess your mood swing patterns by asking questions. For example, if you have mood swings, especially during your menstruation, a therapist may advise you to do some breathing exercises.

9) Repeated Thoughts

You may develop rumination as a result of depression or anxiety, in which your mind repeatedly thinks about the same thoughts.

It does not have to be just any thoughts. Your unfulfilled dreams or the outcome of something you did. It can become so severe that you are unable to sleep.

It is preferable to see a therapist and discuss your recurring thoughts. The therapist can assist you in reducing the number of times that thought crosses your mind and arriving at a solution.

10)  Coping mechanism

How you deal with your problems is just as important as the problem itself. You may have developed your own coping mechanism. Listening to music, for example, can help to calm racing thoughts.

When you go to therapy, tell them about your self-developed coping mechanisms and how well they worked for you. As a result, your therapist has a good idea of why it isn’t working for you right now, and he can change the methods if necessary.

11) Family and Medical History 

If you have any knowledge of someone from previous generations who has similar conditions to you. Please let the therapist know about it. It can reveal potential dangers.

Furthermore, your medical history is important for your mental health. If you are in a medical emergency, you may experience a trauma reaction. Knowing your medical history will assist your therapists in understanding the potential causes of your condition.

12)  Your strengths

You can talk about your positives as well as your negatives in therapy. You may not always express your positive qualities, but doing so will assist your therapist in recognising them for you.

Therapy can also help you discover hidden talents and personality traits that can lead to greater success in the future.

13)  Major Life Changes

Some of you find it challenging to adjust with abrupt changes in your lives. A few examples include birth, death, and relocation to a new country. Both positive and negative changes can cause mental and physical stress. 

Therapy during life transitions therefore makes it easier to adjust.

14) Sexuality

Feel free to share any worries you may have about sex or sexuality. Discuss it with a sexuality-focused therapist. They could actually help you find a solution to your issue.

15) Fears and hopes about future

You can discuss your fears about the future such as, What if you couldn’t become who you wanted to be? Or will you get a good job after you finish your studies?

You can also discuss your hopes and dreams with the therapist. They can assist you in developing effective strategies to help you achieve your goals.

Final Take Away

These are ideas that you can bring up with your therapists. Your therapists are open to hearing about anything. They can understand what you’re going through or give help.

Please be careful not to stop therapy if you don’t feel at ease with your therapist. Choose a therapist with whom you feel secure enough to discuss personal information.

How Can We Help?

No matter how you are feeling, Healthvio will support you. 

We offer a fully confidential online platform for you to attend sessions from the comfort of your home.

Download the Healthvio app, and you’ll gain access to affordable therapy. 

You’ll also be able to select the therapist who best meets your needs.