Page 139 - A Soldiers Exposition

What will we work on in therapy?

When you begin therapy, you and your therapist should decide together what goals you hope to reach in
therapy. Not every person with PTSD will have the same treatment goals. For instance, not all people
with PTSD are focused on reducing their symptoms.

Some people want to learn the best way to live with their symptoms and how to cope with other problems
associated with PTSD. Perhaps you want to feel less guilt and sadness. Perhaps you would like to work
on improving your relationships at work or communicating with your friends and family.

Your therapist should help you decide which of these goals seems most important to you, and he or she
should discuss with you which goals might take a long time to achieve.

What can I expect from my therapist?

Your therapist should give you a good explanation for the therapy. You should understand why your
therapist is choosing a specific treatment for you, how long they expect the therapy to last, and how they
will tell if it is working.

The two of you should agree at the beginning that this plan makes sense for you. You should also agree
on what you will do if it does not seem to be working. If you have any questions about the treatment, your
therapist should be able to answer them.

You should feel comfortable with your therapist and feel you are working as a team to tackle your
problems. It can be difficult to talk about painful situations in your life or about the traumatic experiences
that you have had. Feelings that emerge during therapy can be scary and challenging.

Talking with your therapist about the process of therapy and about your hopes and fears in regard to
therapy will help make therapy successful.

If you do not like your therapist or feel that the therapist is not helping you, it might be helpful to talk with
another professional. In most cases, you should tell your therapist that you are seeking a second opinion.

Date Created: 01/01/2007