Being there for your kids - Are YouThinking About Therapy?

Episode Date: December 2, 2024

Deciding to start psychotherapy and be a monumental decision for someone. You're stuck in your life. Probably have been there for a long time. You've tried other options to no avail. You want to get unstuck and forge a new life for yourself. In my clinical experience over 40 years, I've noticed 4 types of clients. Accordingly, they tend to complete their therapy in certain lengths of time. Mentalligent psychotherapy can help you zero in on your treatment goals and make the most out of your therapy experience. Check it out. Blessings, Jon

Hi, Dr. John Robinson, and this is Teachable Moments. I want to share with you today my thoughts on types of clients and length of treatment. Over 40 years of practice in clinical psychology, I have found that my clients fall into several categories according to what they are looking for in therapy and how long it typically takes them to reach their treatment goals. Research on the length of treatment in psychotherapy comes from three sources. Scott Miller in 2020 found that using deliolence, deliberate practice, a form of solution-focused therapy, up to 90% of the healing process occurs within the first nine sessions. In the year 2000, when insurance companies invoked

managed care, their model allowed for 12 sessions to complete therapy. The American Psychological Association found that when left to their own devices, clinical psychologists typically use 20 sessions to achieve their treatment goals. So, depending on your goals and strategy, your work with patients should last nine, 12, or 20 sessions. In my work with patients, I have found it helpful to use four categories. First, some patients are just browsing. These folks are looking for goodness of fit. They're checking you out before committing to length of your treatment. Their length of treatment is usually one to five sessions. Other folks are on a mission to find help and zero in on their defined goals of treatment. They've identified the presenting

problem and are stuck in it. They've researched both the problem and treatment options. They're ready to accept you as their guide and join in the healing process. Most of these folks reach their treatment goals in five to 20 sessions. The third category of patients I call the worried well. These folks are self-conscious and have been through anxious and depressive times. They have subclinical symptoms that are situational reactions to life stressors. While our time and expertise are valued and symptom relief occurs, these folks can manage their lives daily. To some extent, we become their professional confidant. These folks tend to lack adequate social skills to use a best friend or confidant, so we fill that bill.

With strong encouragement and boundaries, these folks stay in therapy for 20 to 50 sessions. Finally, less than 10% of patients in general clinical practice have significant mental health issues, unless their doctor practices in a specialty setting. Working with these folks, your metal is tested and you earn your keep. Treatments are coordinated with other health professionals, notably primary care physicians and psychiatrists. Your goals are to help them stay out of the inpatient psychiatric care, maintain self-care, be alert to variations in mood and temperament,

and increase their stress management and resilience. Folks with significant mental health issues can last longer than 50 sessions. If you're curious about psychotherapy, can you see yourself in one of these categories? As a clinician, are these types of clients you see? More on these categories, your healing journey and on the use of mental and psychotherapy in my new book, The Healing Journey, Overcoming Adversity on the Path of the Good Life. Blessings, Dr. John. If these comments have stirred questions of your own, contact me through my website at www.

thereformykids.com or email me at John Robinson 0.0.0.BelSouth.net. I'm Dr. Jonathan C. Robinson, licensed clinical psychologist, and author of Teachable Moments, Building Blocks of Christian Parenting, and my new book, The Healing, The Healing, Journey, Overcoming Adversity on the Path to the Good Life. And this has been Teachable Moments. Blessings. Teachable Moments, Building Blocks of Christian Parenting, is available online at Amazonbooks.com and in local and national bookstores. More on Dr. Robinson. at TMC P-I-N-C.com.