The therapeutic process can be beneficial to you in many ways and it is important to remember that healing takes time. Your therapist and you will endeavor to work collaboratively to reach your personal goals, attain resolution for interpersonal conflicts, provide symptom relief, healing from past trauma and to obtain personal growth. It is important to mention that in pursuit of these changes some possible unpleasant emotions may arise and cause distress, and lead to disruption in other areas of your life. This is a normal part of any process of change. For the most part, you should be leaving your therapy sessions feeling better. But a crucial part of the therapeutic journey is that you will sometimes feel worse. Raw. Emotional. You may at various points get struck with grief for what you've lost or never had. Trust the process. You can and will get through hard times and negative emotions. For true therapeutic value in your mental health journey, you will be learning to increase your "window of tolerance" to experiencing negative emotions and not letting these emotions dictate your behavior nor lead to dysfunctional behavior.
While positive gains are expected in your mental health journey there is no certainty of growth. You may learn things about yourself, or about a family member or partner that you do not like. You may feel emotionally uncomfortable at times, since growth often occurs when one experiences and confronts issues that induce sadness, sorrow, anxiety, or pain. After making changes in your thinking and/or behaviors your friends and family may respond differently to you, and it is impossible to predict their response. (For example: A risk of marital therapy is the risk of separation or divorce after reaching greater insight.) If a situation fails to improve or a situation deteriorates, this may be an sign that your needs are not been met. Being open with your therapist about your growth or lack of growth is important to ensure your journey continues to progress. Keep in mind that not every therapist is good for every person. Sometimes we can outgrow our therapist's training or our therapist can help us identify more specific needs. In this instance, your therapist can provide you with referrals to other professionals for consultation, higher level of care and/or specialized treatment. This is part of the mental health journey being individualized to you and your needs.
Progress happens all the time, sometimes little by little, and it is important to reflect on progress you have made or not made regularly in your sessions to help you understand your healing process fully.