What to expect from psychotherapy and How it works ?

Psychotherapy is a rigorous process of identifying and helping people who are struggling with emotional difficulties or various kinds of mental illnesses, by experts who have been trained and have practitioner license for the same. It does not involve medications, but it is done through active communication with the therapist. It helps not only in symptom relief, but also facilitates self-awareness which will reduce the impact of stress in the future and also helps build resilience. The number of sessions required to bring about change cannot be fixed, because that varies for every individual. However, an average of 10-12 sessions is required to begin to see some changes in a person topically.

While seeking help via psychotherapy, we should keep in mind a few things:

• Readiness is very important - One cannot force someone into therapy and expect that the person will change for the better. It involves a lot of effort from the individual, hence if the person is not motivated or cooperative for the process, therapists can do little in bringing about active changes.


• Psychotherapy will not work if one comes with unrealistic expectations - Therapy does not work like magic and it does not involve instant relief from symptoms. It takes time to unlearn patterns of dysfunctional thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Hence, expecting overnight changes will only disappoint a person.


• It is not the same as talking to a friend - Psychotherapists are trained and have the skills to form an alliance and to listen with intent, keeping in mind a direction or goals for a client. They help you in understanding yourself, to identify and work on what acts as obstacles for you, in your journey. Those obstacles can be one’s own fears, one’s negative thoughts or behaviour that can be handicapping for a person.


• It does not involve quick fixes - Every person is unique and each person reacts differently to a same situation. Thus, there is no “One rule fits all”. Therapy is not just about giving techniques to manage our thoughts and emotions. It is about understanding oneself, understanding why you as a person is reacting or feeling a certain way and then learning to decide what to do about it.

• Mpower- The Centre, Bangalore has a team of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists who are licensed therapists with an experience of handling clients with emotional difficulties and psychiatric disorders.