In the United States, almost 20% of adults currently struggle with a mental health condition. Therapy, also known as talk therapy or psychotherapy, is one of the most effective ways to manage your mental health, receive emotional support, and take care of your well-being.
The benefits of therapy go beyond people with mental health concerns—anyone who needs a listening ear during a tough time in their life can greatly benefit from going to therapy.
There are many types of therapy services, depending on the treatment that works best for your needs. Individual therapy is an option that involves working one-on-one with your therapist. Read on to find out if this form of therapy is the right one for you.
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What Is Individual Therapy?
Individual therapy is a mental health treatment where a trained professional, usually a psychotherapist, works with a patient on a one-on-one basis.
It provides a safe space where a person can freely explore their innermost thoughts, feelings, and problems. It’s also an opportunity to identify harmful behavioral patterns and replace them with healthy coping skills, with the goal of improving the quality of your life.
This is the most common type of therapy, with a setup that allows treatment to be customized according to a patient’s needs. It can be used to treat a wide range of health issues, including:
- Alcohol and substance use disorder
- Anxiety disorders and phobias
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Eating disorders, like anorexia and bulimia
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Individual therapy can also help you cope with stressful life situations, like divorce and break-ups, the death of a friend or family member, or chronic pain and illnesses.
Individual Therapy vs. Group Therapy: What’s the Difference?
Individual therapy offers a personalized approach to mental health treatment. It focuses solely on your needs and allows you and your therapist to devote the majority of your time and attention to understanding your issues and developing effective strategies to solve them.
Meanwhile, group therapy, including couples and family therapy, allows you to give and receive support from others and share your experiences in a positive and encouraging environment.
The advantages of individual therapy include complete privacy, one-on-one attention, customized treatment, and the development of self-awareness, while group therapy provides a sense of community and belonging, and is typically less expensive than individual therapy.
Ultimately, the choice between the two depends on your goals, preferences, and comfort level.
Types of Individual Therapy
There are a variety of techniques and practices that mental health professionals use in individual therapy, and each has its own characteristics, strengths, and benefits.
Here is a brief overview of the main types:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This type of therapy helps people recognize and reframe their problematic, inaccurate, and negative thoughts and change the maladaptive behaviors that result from them.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): A type of talk therapy for people who experience intense emotions and have difficulty regulating them. The term “dialectical” means combining two opposite ideas in therapy, acceptance and change.
- Humanistic Therapy: Treatment that helps individuals reach their full potential, overcome obstacles, and improve their lives through self-discovery. It emphasizes the importance of personal growth, free will, and people’s ability to make rational decisions.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: An approach that seeks to change harmful thoughts and problematic behaviors by discovering their unconscious meanings and unresolved conflicts, usually stemming from past experiences and childhood.
- Interpersonal Therapy: Focuses on interpersonal relationships, including your behavior and interactions with family and friends. It aims to improve your communication and conflict-resolution skills and increase your self-esteem.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Helps individuals understand and accept their emotions instead of ignoring or fighting them, and commit to changing unhealthy behaviors that don’t align with their values.
- Integrative or Holistic Therapy: Treatment that blends ideas, elements, and techniques from different types of therapy, tailored to fit each person’s needs. It focuses on the well-being of the “whole” person, including the body, mind, spirit, and emotions.
Benefits of Individual Therapy
The main benefit of individual therapy is receiving effective and lasting treatment for mental health conditions, which gives people the freedom to live healthy and productive lives. Many also benefit from skills learned in therapy, that remain useful even after they finish treatment.
Individual therapy can help you with:
1. Gaining a Better Understanding of Yourself: Therapy empowers you to look at yourself with eyes of compassion instead of shame and embarrassment. It enables you to identify underlying issues from your past that may be contributing to your present problems.
2. Developing Healthy Coping Skills: Therapy teaches you to track your triggers and understand their root causes. You’ll also learn how to solve problems and manage stress by mastering coping techniques instead of relying on harmful habits and substances.
3. Building a Support System: Individual therapy allows you to establish a safe, healthy, and trusting relationship with your therapist and loved ones. Having the right support in your life is essential in getting through times without feeling isolated and alone.
4. Improving Physical and Mental Health: According to the American Psychiatric Association, therapy has been shown to improve emotional well-being, provide symptom relief, and is linked with positive effects on the brain and body, resulting in fewer sick days and medical problems.
5. Enhancing Your Communication Skills: Working one-on-one with a therapist can help you learn how to effectively express yourself. This is an important skill that you can practice immediately and will benefit you in your relationships and other areas of your life.
What to Expect From an Individual Therapy Session
Every therapist has a unique approach to treatment, and people’s needs may vary greatly, which means that each individual therapy session can look different.
However, most sessions usually start with the therapist asking you to share what’s on your mind, any problems you’ve been facing, or important matters you’d like to discuss. If it’s your first visit, your therapist may ask you the following questions:
- Why are you seeking therapy at this time?
- What do you expect from our therapy sessions?
- What are the symptoms you’ve been experiencing?
- How is your relationship with your friends and family?
- How do you cope with stress?
Your therapist may ask questions about your family background and life history. They may also invite you to open up about your experiences, emotions, and problems.
After this, they may conduct several activities depending on your treatment program, to help you discover yourself, including your underlying thoughts and emotions. Some therapists may provide you with homework, such as journaling, to perform after each session.
How Long Does Individual Therapy Last?
Generally, each therapy session may involve around 45–60 minutes of guided and mindful conversation. The total time you spend in therapy will depend on your treatment goals, the severity of your symptoms, and your therapist’s approach and assessment of your recovery.
According to the American Psychological Association, recent research shows that an average of 15 to 20 sessions are necessary for 50% of patients to recover. For complex issues or serious mental health conditions, treatment can take 6–12 months or more for full relief and recovery.
Schedule an Individual Therapy Session Today
Working with a therapist or mental health professional in a one-on-one setup is a valuable opportunity to explore your inner world, without worrying about judgment or privacy.
Every session will provide you with a safe space and proper time to reflect on the habits you’d like to change and develop coping skills for daily stressors and symptoms of your condition.
If you or a loved one are ready to start your recovery through individual therapy, Long Island Treatment Center can give you the care you need. Learn more about our services by calling our confidential hotline for immediate help.