Not Feeling Better After Starting Therapy? Here’s What to Know

If you’ve recently started therapy and feel like nothing has changed yet, it is important to remember that improvement can take time. Not seeing an immediate change in behavior or mood after therapy is absolutely okay and normal. A lot of the time, people just give up on therapy the minute they feel it's not working, but before you do there's a few things you can do to really make sure you give it your all. 

Not feeling better right away doesn’t mean therapy isn’t working. It means you’re doing something new — and new is hard.

What Our Therapists Say

We asked Jasmine and Carla, two of our therapists here at Honest Hour, what they'd say to someone who's doubting therapy. Here’s their take:

 "Let your therapist know how you're feeling..."

We know, it sounds scary, but most therapists want you to feel better and WELCOME feedback. 

For example, if you want a therapist that gives you homework after every session, then share that and see if your therapist can offer that and if not, they can help you find a therapist that does.

Jasmine assured us and said a good therapist, "won't get offended, this is your time to get what you need so go ahead and ask for it!"

"Reflect on how long you’ve been feeling this way..."

At the beginning, therapy can often make us feel worse before helping us feel better as we’re starting to talk about really difficult and emotional topics. Also, it’s important to remember that therapy is a process, and we may have expectations in our head about how long things will take to feel better so having a conversation about realistic expectations with your therapist can be so helpful.   

You’re Not Failing — You’re Rebuilding It’s easy to wonder, “Shouldn’t I feel better by now?” But the truth is, healing doesn’t follow a straight line. The fact that you’re even asking the question means you’re doing the work.

Be patient with your pace. Give yourself grace. And don’t be afraid to advocate for what you need.

Ultimately, it’s important to remember that your therapist has your best interest at heart. Therapy is a journey and with time you and your therapist will reach your goals.

Support That Gets It

At Honest Hour, we offer authenticity-focused virtual therapy for first-gen professionals. While we serve all individuals, we are particularly dedicated to supporting communities of color through our diverse team of therapists. All of our therapists take insurance and if you would like to learn more about our therapists who serve New York and New Jersey, click here.