April 18, 2025 | Kiki Leonard, AMFT
Maximize Your Therapy Investment
Ah, tax season. This time of year, finances are front-and-center in our focus. Money is one of those funny topics that can stir up many feelings (namely: fear and anxiety) because it’s closely tied to our sense of security. It can be a sacrifice to invest financially in your mental health! For this reason, I thought it would be helpful to provide some tips on how to maximize your investment in your healing journey, so that you can be sure your money is being used wisely and effectively!
The Fit of Your Therapist
Research shows that one of the biggest determinants of therapy outcomes is the therapist themself. Each therapist has their own unique style of therapy, and there are tons of different approaches and techniques. This variability means that not every therapist is going to work well with you! Sometimes people just clash or don’t “vibe” well, which makes it difficult for you to be open and vulnerable – a central component for making progress on your mental health journey.
Tips for determining fit:
1. Shop Around
If you’re just starting your journey, don’t be afraid to “shop around” for a therapist or counselor with whom you genuinely feel comfortable! Most therapists offer free consultations, which are a great opportunity to get a feel for how well (or not) you can work together. Try a few on for size to find the best fit for you before committing!
- Check out our checklist of suggested questions to ask when interviewing potential therapists.
2. Offer Feedback
If you’ve been working with a therapist and you’re not seeing the progress you want, or if there are some things about their style that rub you the wrong way, try having a transparent conversation with them. Most therapists will welcome the feedback. We would rather know directly that something feels off to you so we have a chance to address it. After all, your healing is our ultimate goal, and we want to help facilitate that journey, not get in the way!
3. Find a Better Fit
If you feel like your therapist just isn’t the one for you and having a conversation with them hasn’t helped, then it might be time to find someone who better fits your needs. While it can be intimidating to start with someone new, it’s better in the long run to have a therapist you work well with! Try asking your current therapist or another trusted source for referrals; this can give you a head-start in the “shopping around” process.
Consider the Frequency of Your Sessions
Meeting weekly, especially at the beginning of therapy, can really jump-start your healing journey. Because the relationship with your therapist is so critical for therapy outcomes, establishing good rapport and trust early on in the process makes for faster, more effective work in the long run.
Also, if you’re working through trauma, you might consider altering the frequency of your sessions – if you need to meet every other week instead of weekly, you can do that! Make sure you have the time and energy to do the work in session when you have to move toward hard things. Be willing to take the risk and move toward the difficulty – the only way out is through! And that takes effort. It might be helpful to set aside some energy according to the difficulty level.
Set Clear, Achievable Goals
One great way to get the most out of your therapy dollars is to set clear goals. Your therapist should help with this process – it’s best if it’s collaborative! And knowing what you’re both working towards is incredibly helpful for keeping therapy on track so you don’t waste time (and money) exploring topics that don’t relate to your goals. Having clear goals also helps you to monitor the progress you make, so you can really see the effects your time, money, and effort have on your life and relationships.
Communicate Openly with Your Therapist
Transparency with your therapist is key to getting what you want out of therapy. If your therapist doesn’t know what’s really going on, then they can’t help you address it. To really get the most out of your therapy investment, try being honest about what you’re experiencing, what you’re wanting out of therapy, and how therapy is going.
Of course, sometimes we aren’t ready to talk about things – and that’s okay. If you’re curious about how to move forward in therapy when vulnerability is a barrier, take a look at Louise’s blog post, “What If I Don’t Want to Talk About It?”
Actively Engage in and Out of Sessions
When you genuinely participate in the therapy process, you increase the impact and value of your therapy investment. One way to do this is to write down thoughts and feelings beforehand or throughout the week as they come up. That way, you can walk into your session with an idea of what you want to address that day, or how your previous session has affected you.
Another great way to actively participate is to take notes in session. Then, review them later. If you’re working through deep or poignant issues, you might even keep a journal about your therapy experience. This is another helpful way to see how things have changed throughout your healing journey. You can also choose to share what you’re learning with a trusted friend or partner.
Apply What You Learn Outside of Sessions
Let’s say I wanted to learn how to play guitar. I go out and buy a pretty little acoustic, I make sure I have all the accessories I might need (picks, a strap, a tuner, a capo, etc.), and I even sign up for lessons. But then, the only time I actually play the guitar is during my lessons with my instructor once a week. You can probably imagine how slow my progress would be! Wouldn’t it be so much more effective if I were to practice outside of lessons? Even two to three times a week would get me so much further along.
The same concept applies to therapy. Research shows that another critical determinant of therapy outcomes is how diligently you apply what you learn in therapy to your everyday life. Just like with any skill you learn, practicing it for only an hour every week or two probably isn’t going to get you very far. This is why some therapists assign “therapy homework.” Homework provides structured opportunities to export what you talk about and build it into your life!
Be patient and persistent
Healing can take time. This is especially true when you’re addressing deep, long-standing wounds or trauma. Or when you’re unlearning patterns of behavior that have been part of your life for a long time. Borrowing wisdom from our old friends The Tortoise and The Hare, “slow and steady wins the race.” Be patient with yourself and with the process. And if you stick with it – staying engaged, transparent, and with the support of a trusted therapist to walk with you – your investment in therapy can reap remarkable changes that will stay with you for a lifetime.
Ready to Start Investing?
If you’re interested in starting your therapy journey, take a look at our therapists’ bios to see who you’re most drawn to.
If you’re unsure who would be the best fit for you or your family, fill out the form below, and someone from our team will be in touch with you.
To help you assess who is or isn’t a good fit for you, download our Questions to Ask Potential Therapists checklist.
Kiki Leonard, AMFT
Kiki Leonard brings passion and compassion to her role as a Marriage and Family Therapist Associate. She graduated from Richmont Graduate University with a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is trained in Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (parts work), Attachment-Based Family Therapy, and Emotionally Focused Therapy (Externship). Kiki loves helping individuals and couples to heal and break free from unhealthy patterns. She also helps families grow closer and overcome obstacles through Waystone’s Whole Family Healing approach. In her spare time, Kiki enjoys reading, going to fan conventions, and doing aerial silks. She also loves spending time with her people as well as snuggling and playing with her dog.