Feeling Stuck in Therapy?

Feeling Stuck in Therapy?
6 Powerful Reflection Questions to Help You Move Forward

In a perfect world, we’d take the courageous leap into the world of therapy, put in consistent hard work, and see immediate results. There’d be little difficulty finding new ways to motivate ourselves, and we’d always have a clear direction of where we’re headed. Maybe you’ve even felt that way before in therapy…like you’ve been riding a strong wave of momentum and feel so GOOD about how it’s going. However, at some point...something changes, and it feels like you’re grasping at straws to figure out what to bring up each session or where to go from here. 

Regardless of how long you’ve been in therapy, it’s entirely normal to go through seasons of stagnation. Stuckness isn’t always a sign that therapy itself isn’t working.

If this resonates with you, here are some questions to ask yourself that could help guide you to more clarity on what to do if you’re feeling stuck.

How do you know you’re stuck?

People may describe their stuck feelings as spinning their wheels with the same topics or finding it hard to “get anywhere new” in the therapy space week after week. Maybe they’re noticing themselves keeping it “surface level” or sessions are feeling more like recaps. Nothing is changing. And while not every session may feel like an emotional breakthrough during the therapy process, there may be valuable information lurking within the patterns you’re noticing both before, during, and after therapy. What sensations do you notice? Are there certain emotions you feel? If you could turn your sensations into an image, what might stuckness look like for you?  

Have you looped your therapist in?

It’s key that your therapist is aware of your stuckness. Research has shown the therapeutic alliance plays a huge role in positive therapeutic outcomes. In other words, it’s really important your therapist feels emotionally safe for you. If you haven’t brought it up yet, it may warrant some further reflection around what’s stopping you from being transparent around what you’re feeling. A skilled therapist will honor your vulnerability and work with you to uncover more of what’s showing up as you navigate any feelings of stagnation. 

Do my goals still fit my current needs?

It’s time to reassess your treatment goals! What feels different since you’ve started therapy? What feels the same? How would you know it would be time to end therapy? How do you know it’s still a useful space for you at this time? Do you need to be seen less frequently? More frequently? Do you need to take a pause? This can be a great way to collaboratively explore what may be feeling missing as you brainstorm ways to move forward.

Are you doing the work outside of the space?

This is your gentle and loving call-out from therapists everywhere…you gotta do the work on your own time too! Therapy is often one hour a week or every other week. You live a lot of life in those remaining hours outside of session time! Practicing newfound skills and taking time to reflect on uncovered insight is an important piece of the therapy puzzle. It’s a simple but important question…if homework is a part of your treatment goals, are you actually doing your homework? Are you taking action steps to help yourself?

What are you avoiding?

Maybe there are certain topics or emotions you find yourself avoiding bringing up in therapy. It’s always okay to share at a pace that feels comfortable for you AND it may be useful to take a pause and turn inward. Is there a part of your story you’ve yet to bring up in therapy that could propel you forward? Even just bringing awareness to the role of avoidance in your therapy work can be a guidepost toward new insights.

Do I need a new perspective or a different approach?

We may reach a point in our therapeutic journeys where we realize our therapist is no longer the best fit for what we need. Maybe you could benefit from another perspective or way to look at what you’re dealing with. It could also be a possibility to integrate talk therapy with another modality. At Grander Peace Counseling, we have several therapists who are trained in modalities outside of traditional talk therapy. Some clients may find additional approaches may be a pivotal addition to their therapeutic journey.

These questions can be utilized to check in with yourself as you navigate the organic transitions of growth and stagnation in the therapy space. While there may not always be a clear answer of what you may need to find your footing again, taking the time to check to reflect is a tool within itself. Even when progress feels slow, you are doing incredible work! Our GPC therapists are here for you.