let’s reflect.
At Good Human Work, we believe that real change takes time. We learn, we reflect, we practice change, we rest, we repeat.
May 1, 2026
How to get the most out of therapy
Let’s learn.
Therapy clients often ask questions around how they are to participate in therapy, what it will be like, and what to expect.
Honestly, at first it can often be confusing.
If you watch almost any media depiction about therapy, you’ll see a slightly (or deeply) misconstrued version of what being a therapy client is all about and what you should expect.
Until you’ve been part of a successful therapy process with a highly skilled therapist, it’s normal to have questions or buy into myths about what therapy is like.
We often use metaphors in therapy, and one of the most common is to consider therapy as a journey.
The destination is your “goal” or how you imagine your life to be different in the future, and you enter into the journey to get there with your therapist. (This is why it’s so essential to have a therapist who you trust and is the right fit for you.)
A good licensed therapist will:
talk to you about your goals for therapy including where you’ve been, where you are now, and where you want to go.
ask about your skills, relationships, and difficulties that may arise on your “journey”.
explain how they’ll help guide you.
explain the process, the terrain, and what to expect along the way.
be offering additional resources and supports for you to access outside the therapy sessions as well.
While your therapist is holding the “road map” and acts as a guide for your therapeutic journey, it’s your role to take one step after another and to communicate openly and regularly with them about the journey.
Therapy is a collaborative process. It’s your right as a client to ask questions about the process, how the therapist will guide you, and for what you need during the journey. Your therapist will expect you to be putting in effort, reflecting and noticing areas where you struggle, and considering what you can do differently.
If you expect the therapist to do all the work, you won’t move forward or make progress, and if you don’t share where you hope to go or barriers in your path, they’ll only be guessing at which direction to head.
Let’s reflect.
We’re in this together as a team, and good therapy involves both therapist and client participation.
Feel free to ask questions along the way and discuss the journey with them. Share when you’re metaphorically achy, need a rest, or have doubts about what’s up ahead. Your therapist can and should explain the process, slow down when necessary, and tailor it to what you need.
Sometimes, it’s a fairly brief journey you’re on. You know exactly where you want to go today, have the energy to move quickly, and goals can be met in a short period of time or even a single session.
Other phases of life may be more complex. There can be a long road to make the changes you want, or you may not even know exactly where you need to go so the goal is to explore your options and decide which path to take (on your own or with the therapist).
Working with the right-fit therapist, one who knows you well and you can return to when you have new goals, will make therapy more efficient, saving you both time and money. You can work to meet a goal, stop therapy for a time, then return in the future as you want to work on a new goal or journey.
We’re here for all of it. By communicating openly and honestly with your therapist, it allows us to adjust to what you need and want out of therapy.
Let’s practice change.
HOW CAN I BE A GOOD THERAPY CLIENT?
When we start on the journey to something new or try to achieve a goal, we’re stepping into a new space, asking ourselves to evolve and grow. It takes courage and determination, while at the same time can give us energy and enthusiasm.
Show up. This journey takes intentionality and being a participant. If your efforts to change are too infrequent or inconsistent, your progress may be slow or stagnant.
Be present in the experience. When we’re fully present, we are engaged and participating. This involves all parts of us including our mind, body, and emotions. Sometimes that can be a little overwhelming, but it’s important that we’re engaged in the progress and not going through the motions.
Make change a priority. Don’t rush it but don’t slow it down either. Change inevitably brings up some fear that we need to pass through, but we don't want the fear of change to stall us completely. Small, incremental steps get us where we’re going and those are typically manageable.
Reflect and Practice. Change doesn’t just happen in 50-minute sessions. The biggest changes happen when you reflect and practice in between sessions. Ask your therapist for homework or what you can be doing in between sessions.
Be honest. Let your therapist know where you are. Be open and communicative, and they’ll tailor the process to your needs. We work with what you provide to us, so the more open you are, the more we have to work with to make progress.
Celebrate progress. Pay attention to your progress and what you feel proud of, even when it feels small or challenging. When you notice your brain focusing on what you haven’t done yet, return instead to what you want to encourage and celebrate about the process so far. The act of going to therapy is an enormous step, so at the very least, celebrate that.
We build lasting change in small increments over time. Our steps are valuable and the more we appreciate and celebrate them, the further they take us. Know that it takes time and every small action toward your goals will matter.
It takes courage and strength to address the areas where you need to grow. Going to therapy and truly engaging in the process is a big step in improving your life and relationships. Celebrate that you’re willing to do the hard work to live a happy, fulfilling life.
And now, let’s rest.
