Real growth takes patience, self-compassion, and the right approach — because meaningful change rarely happens overnight.
I came across a reel on Instagram where a psychologist was very passionately speaking about how one year in therapy is a scam and that a “real” therapist should be able to make a difference within a couple of sessions. I usually don’t comment on how my colleagues choose to work, but her words got me thinking, and I had an urge to say something.
We are creatures of habit, and meaningful, lasting change takes time.
I’ve experienced it myself, and see it with most of my clients. Sure, I’ve had a few clients who only needed one or two sessions, but that’s more of an exception than the norm.
Besides, saying that two sessions should be enough to make you feel better is, in my opinion, misleading. Even CBT, often called the ‘gold standard’ of evidence-based therapy, usually requires at least five sessions and can extend to 20. And when it comes to more explorative and experiential approaches, such as psychodynamic psychotherapy, gestalt therapy or transactional analysis, it often takes 6 months or more to facilitate deep and lasting change.
Anyway, if this psychologist can genuinely help people within two sessions, that’s great. We really do need more effective therapists out there.
But therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. What works for one person might not work for another, and that’s okay. There’s no need to throw mud at something just because it doesn’t resonate with you.
A little more acceptance of our differences would go a long way — not just in therapy, but in life as well.