1. Get what you came for.
You decided to see a therapist for a reason, right? Consistency is key to reaching your goals, especially if you are not a person who wants to be in therapy for years and years. Additionally, it is vital to give yourself at least one hour a week where you can give your worries and stresses a rest and focus on YOU. If now is the time you want to work on yourself- commit!
2. Develop a stronger rapport with your therapist.
It is easier and more likely that you will become more comfortable with your therapist and more apt to opening up in the therapy session if you are meeting with him/her regularly rather than every few weeks. When we trust a person, we often allow ourselves to be more vulnerable, which is exactly what needs to happen for therapy to be effective!
3. A set, weekly time helps makes therapy an expected part of your routine.
Having infrequent or inconsistent appointments with your therapist can lead to forgetting sessions, or even the feeling that they are less important than something locked into your schedule each week. This can lead to a lack of rhythm or continuity in your work with your therapist, which is not the most effective for your treatment.
4. Avoid cancellation fees.
On the same token, many therapists have late cancellation policies, and if you forget your session (which is much more likely to happen when you don’t have a consistent schedule), you could end up paying for it anyway. Even if you have insurance, they will not cover the cost of a missed session.
5. Going to therapy even when you feel “good” can actually be quite effective.
When we are at our best, we have more resources to deal with long standing patterns or deep personal issues than we do when we are in “crisis” mode. Although it is common for some people to feel less engaged in therapy once their acute symptoms have alleviated, more progress is often made towards longer term goals when a person feels more at his or her baseline.