There’s no such thing as an average number of sessions or ‘normal’ length of therapy

How much therapy should I have? is a question I get asked often, and my answer is simple - only you know.

That’s not me avoiding the question, and it’s not that I don’t have a gut feel, but I personally believe that you need to hold the keys to your counselling. You get to decide when it starts and when it stops. For some people, there is something quite powerful about embracing this autonomy and learning how to take control of their mental health.

There is no such thing in therapy as ‘the average’ person, which means there is no real rule of thumb for how many sessions you should have. There is no real answer to ‘how long will therapy take?’ or ‘when will I start to feel better?’ which may sound unhelpful but the point here is that your individual experience will be unique to you.

But on a practical note, the duration of therapy may determine whether or not somebody decides to start it at all. If it doesn’t fit in with your schedule or it’s prohibitively expensive, you might not ever take that step towards healing. So I’ve outlined a few different ways that therapy can be accessed, in the hope that it’s a useful guide and makes you consider your options.

Long & short-term therapy

Long-term or open-ended therapy and short-time or time-limited therapy are probably the most well-known and common ways to experience therapy. They both involve regular sessions that take place at the same time every week.

Open-ended counselling is exactly that - therapy with no fixed end date. That doesn’t mean it goes on forever, it simply means that you continue for as long as you want or need it. For some people this is a matter of months, others may stay in therapy for years - it’s completely down to the individual and how they feel. There is no right or wrong.

The benefit of long-term therapy is that you have time; time to explore a multitude of issues and get deep into the work, time to try different techniques and time to observe how feelings are evolving. And because you aren’t bound by time, you have the opportunity to be led by what’s emerging, and go where it feels important to go, without the pressure of a deadline.

Short-term counselling consists of a set number of sessions (ten or less) which is typically agreed in advance. The misconception is that you can’t do good therapy in a short space of time. In my experience, I have found the opposite to be true and I’ve worked with clients who have done really deep and important work in short-term therapy. Some people prefer to know there is an end date, as this can help some clients feel more focused, and of course it’s helpful to know what it’s going to cost without the risk of going over budget.

Single session counselling

One session of counselling is more of a mindset than a method. It is a bit more targeted and less fluid than long or short-term therapy, but again for some people, that is what is needed or preferred. It’s great for someone who has one very specific (and often urgent) thing they want to explore, as the reality is there isn’t the time to go into much emotional depth on multiple issues.

Single session counselling is also really good for the ‘here and now’. It’s a big step to take the plunge and start therapy, but you can often lose momentum while you wait for a therapist to become available. With a single session, you’re unlikely to have to wait very long for an appointment, meaning that you get help in your moment of need, rather than once someone is free to see you.

Wellbeing MOT

A Wellbeing MOT is something else that I offer. This is a longer session that doesn’t follow the same format as a traditional counselling session, as it takes a more holistic view of your emotional health and how that intersects with your lifestyle. We tend to look at what is causing you to feel a certain way and any tips that may help you feel less stuck. A Wellbeing MOT is a helpful opportunity to spend some time exploring a very specific issue that is causing stress or anxiety and taking a look at any lifestyle factors that may be impacting.

During a Wellbeing MOT we explore what solutions can be put in place and any further support that would be useful. As with single session therapy, there won’t be the time to explore these things in great depth, but some people find it helpful to take a quick look under the hood and consider what changes may be helpful to make.

When does therapy end?

You decide when your therapy ends, but remember, the end of therapy doesn’t mean that the work ends. There are loads of ways to continue your journey independently, and I believe that therapy is an open door - you can always revisit it at a later stage.

Some people like to take time to digest and reflect on the work they’ve done in therapy before starting again, and sometimes life happens and brings you back in sooner than you anticipated. Equally, some people never go back to therapy, which is also fine! But remember, that decision is always yours - you will know what feels right.

Like this article? Follow me on Instagram for updates when new articles are published. If you have any questions about this topic, or anything related to therapy and mental health support, please feel free to contact me.