With daylight savings impending it’s a great time to consider a counseling tune up, to honor our earlier experiences, gain insight about patterns we unconsciously recreate in our lives, and process our subsequent emotional responses as we move forward into the new season.
By UB Owner Joyce Marter, LCPC
We all can benefit from therapy or counseling at various points in our lives. We all have issues related to our family-of-origin. Earlier life experiences do impact our current personal, relational, and professional lives. Our past often has a huge impact on our identity, self-esteem, roles in groups, belief systems, and behavioral patterns.
Therapy is an opportunity to honor our earlier experiences, gain insight about patterns we unconsciously recreate in our lives, and honor and process our subsequent emotional responses. Through therapy we can increase consciousness and awareness, increase self-esteem, improve communication and coping skills. Additionally, counseling works to help shift to more positive thinking, healthier relationships, and greater career success.
Most of us could benefit from a longer term therapy that is a “deep clean” – this is the type of therapy that helps us move forward in our lives. The length of therapy varies for each individual client and depends on factors such as psychological and relational history, current stressors, and current support systems. During the termination phase of therapy, visits become less frequent as the client attains goals and then the therapist and client obtain closure to the therapeutic experience and say good-bye. Whenever a client completes therapy at Urban Balance, we welcome them to come back for a therapy “tune up” whenever it would be beneficial.
UB clients utilize therapy “tune-ups” in different ways. Many clients will follow up with their UB therapist at regular intervals for a periodic tune up (ranging from every other month or a couple times a year.)
Others will seek tune-ups at the following times:
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Old or new psychological symptoms appear (symptoms of depression, anxiety.)
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There is a relapse or regression into old, dysfunctional patterns (substance use relapse, relationship problems.)
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There is a new life circumstance (a new job, new relationship, pregnancy.)
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The client is at a different milestone in their life (getting married, facing a big birthday.)
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There is a new trauma or issue (death of a loved one, illness.)
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It is a new year and simply time to check in and assess how one is doing and where things are at.
Tune-ups are usually briefer in duration than the original therapeutic experience and can help keep you on the path to wellness.
Remember, progress is not linear
We all go through “loops” in life—temporary setbacks, regressions, relapses, etc. That is simply part of the human condition and does not mean we have undone all the original progress. Some people think they have “done their therapy” and don’t think to reach out for a tune up. We are all works in progress and our therapeutic journey may have a few different legs throughout our lives. Better to seek a tune up and nip the issue in the bud (or prevent it altogether) if things go too long they will turn into a larger issue or problem.
Therapy tune-ups are usually most effective when conducted with the original therapist when possible, but they can also be conducted with a new therapist. Sometimes a different therapist can provide different tools to address old issues, which can be extremely beneficial.
Remember, you are in charge of your therapeutic process and need to reach out to UB when in need of some support or consultation.
For more information, please contact info@urbanbalance.com or 888-726-7170.