How can you tell if therapy is working?

There are several kinds of therapy from medicine to pscyho-therapy to cognitive-behavourial to unconditional postive regard, and many, many, MANY more.

The easiest way to know if it's working is, are there improvements in your life (if you've given it a reasonable amount of time given the kind of therapy). Mental health isn't about having it or not having it, it's measured in degrees. How are you functioning compared to before you started therapy? Are your problems in living less? Do you feel any better? Are you eating better? Sleeping better? Relating to the people in your life better (personally and professionally?) How is your personal hygiene? How is your living space for cleanliness? So many things to do in a thumbnail evaluation.

Not all therapists are a great fit. Sometimes you have to try a few out to see who you're connecting with. You could try the American Psychology Association for assistance, or even a college or university psych department for assistance in 'shopping' if you're not connecting.

good luck

I have had tons of therapy. It never feels like it is working at the moment, but as I look back over the years, I can tell that I'm a much different person than I would have been without it.

Recently, my therapist has been helping me attain some goals that I would be deviating from without her. The reason this is happening is that she was asking me if I thought therapy with her was helping me. I replied that it didn't seem so, but that I thought it was. That led to conversations about how she could better help me reach these goals.

I suggest that you talk to your therapist about what the signs of your progress are. Don't shrug it off or settle for a superficial answer. These kinds of questions can lead to breaking through to deeper levels of progress.

Good luck!

I just read the posts above. I disagree with them. If you have questions about the effectiveness of your therapy, I encourage you to talk to your therapist about them. He/she has your best interests at heart.

It's not. I mean, not worth the money. It may be "working," in the sense of creating the dependency on him or her that the therapist wants you to have. But if you look at the professional literature of therapists, it is very cynical about the goals. What are YOUR goals in going to the therapist? To feel better, in some sense, right? Do you? Would you have to ask the Internet if you did?

nothing you spend money on is worth it. therapy works when you ask a question and you don't answer it

how long have you been going? are you working through issues you were unable to talk to with others? it takes time. do you feel comfortable with your therapist? if you don't, find someone you do feel comfortable with. you can't make any progress if you don't feel comfortable with the therapist. is your therapist discussing feelings that you haven't discussed with others? if so, give it time. therapy is a work in progress. don't expect to be "cured" in a month. sometimes we ignore problems and feelings, even to ourselves. this is one of many reasons it may take a while. you have to be willing to allow yourself to share any feelings that come to mind and see where it takes you. Good Luck.

Do you feel better? He's right, if you have to ask, I think the answer is no.

you have to camper bet-wen the thing that you ganna bay and what will you get from it get it !

When you don't have to ask.