How Long Does Therapy Take?
Published November 2nd, 2023
5.5 min read
It can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months before you start to feel better.
Written by Simon Spichak
Taking the first step and going to therapy is hard enough. But when you don’t know what to expect or how long the process takes, you might be less inclined to take the first step. Within the first few sessions, your therapist will make a plan with you, along with a timeline, to give you some idea of how long the treatment will take.
Therapy is a collaborative process between a patient and a psychotherapist. Some types of therapy might come with a suggested timeline, but each case is unique. The amount of therapy sessions or time you might need before you feel better can vary.
How long will therapy take?
Many different factors determine how long therapy takes. It can depend on the technique used or the frequency of therapy sessions. Some people might also respond to certain types of treatment sooner than others.
Here’s how long some standard treatments might require, assuming that sessions are once a week and take about an hour each:
For anxiety or depression, it takes 12 to 20 sessions
For ADHD, it takes 12 to 15 sessions or up to four months
For OCD, it often takes six months or longer
For insomnia, it takes four to 12 weekly sessions
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) for most mental health conditions can take anywhere from six months up to a year
When will I start to feel better?
According to the American Psychological Association, around half of people who take therapy will experience a benefit to their mental health after 15 to 20 sessions. Many people will continue therapy long after they experience these benefits because these benefits can grow over time.
We asked Lewis Lau, one of the psychotherapists at Resolvve, to weigh in. “Clients begin to feel better to the extent to which they begin to take tangible, practical steps toward their values,” Lau says. “This usually begins to occur within three to four sessions and continues to be a key theme throughout the treatment process.”
Don’t worry if it takes a little longer, though. Lau explains that some people have more significant barriers, which may mean therapy takes a little longer to work. “When the breakthrough does happen, it makes the hard work worthwhile.”
“We can know that therapy is working when clients begin to move toward their values to a greater extent in their lives.”
How will I know when I feel better?
At the start of therapy, you and your therapist will develop a treatment plan. This treatment plan details what you’re struggling with, how it affects your life, and how you want it to change. There might be three or four goals that you’ll be working toward with your therapist week-to-week related to your mental health condition.
“The common thread that runs through the goals that my clients tend to set for themselves is that they're usually about moving toward their valued life directions,” Lau says. “We can know that therapy is working when clients begin to move toward their values to a greater extent in their lives.”
Throughout your therapy sessions, you might be asked to fill in questionnaires or answer questions about how you’re feeling. These help you and your therapist track how your anxiety, depression, or mental health changes throughout treatment. You might also notice changes in your mood, thinking, and behaviours. You may experience intrusive thoughts less often, have an easier time regulating your emotions, and feel less stressed out day-to-day.
What does it mean to exit or graduate from therapy?
Sometimes, when you achieve all these goals, you might exit or graduate from therapy.
“The pursuit of psychological health is a lifelong endeavor that requires continuous development, and therapy's job is to provide clients with the tools to do so,” Lau explains. “Exiting therapy is an exciting step because it means that clients have developed the tools and skills they need to pursue psychological fitness in a specific season of their lives!”
However, other people may continue seeing the same therapist to work on other goals related to their mental health and direction in life instead.
Will I struggle with my mental health forever?
Throughout therapy, some people might experience incredible improvements in their mental health. In other cases, their sessions will help them cope day-to-day and will continue seeing the same therapist for several years.
Some people might meet all the goals they set out to achieve with their therapist and may not need to go to therapy anymore. But your mental health condition might yo-yo and worsen as a result of trauma, significant life transitions, or even for no discernable reason at all. Then, you might need to visit your therapist again.
Takeaways
There is no one-size-fits-all treatment when it comes to therapy. That means the length of a treatment will depend on your particular mental health issues, the type of treatment, and how often you’re seeing your therapist. Some people will “graduate” once they’ve met all their goals in therapy, while others will continue seeing the same therapist long-term.
Please note that this post is written for educational purposes; it is not therapy. If you need to talk to a professional, please book a consultation with a psychotherapist through Resolvve.
