Of course, psychotherapeutic relationships develop at different rates for different people. Some people trust and open up right away, while others need to spend a lot of time on this. It's not bad, we're just all different.

Ultimately, in any good psychotherapeutic relationship, the therapist becomes the person you can easily trust, you feel friendly support and care on his part. After all, he is sincerely interested in your life, asks deep questions, and supports you.

Is it possible to become dependent on such a relationship?

Unlike ordinary relationships, psychotherapeutic relationships end sooner or later. The psychotherapist’s task is to talk to the client about the fact that this relationship is temporary.

Of course, sometimes clients find it difficult to withstand a whole week without the participation and support of a psychotherapist, and sometimes there is a fear that they can thus “start increasing the dose” to the point where they want to meet every day or the fear that some insights will be forgotten and missed within a week.

In moments of crisis (which need to be discussed additionally), it’s normal to make a short call and write so that the psychotherapist can support you. It is only important that this really be a moment of crisis, when support is critical.

The desire to share the details of every day can be a trap - communication with a psychotherapist can be a substitute for any other contact with people.

The goal of psychotherapy is precisely for you to learn to rely on yourself and go out into the world, acquiring increasingly stronger social skills.

In order not to become dependent on psychotherapy, perceive the psychotherapist - not as a guru or wizard, but as a tool for working on yourself. But you are solely responsible for this work. In order not to be afraid of forgetting to share important things, you can start keeping a diary, and when moments of crisis arise, ask yourself the question - what can I do in this situation myself? How do people usually cope in such situations? Do I know someone who can be an example for me of successful behavior in a similar situation?

Such an attitude towards psychotherapy improves your adult position and ability to overcome crises when psychotherapy is over.

The greatest joy of a psychotherapist is when the client has mastered self-help skills and methods to such an extent that he is able to cope with the difficulties that arise.

Of course, you cannot close all client requests at once.

Perhaps after the end of therapy a new request will arise, at a new level, and you can again turn to the psychotherapist for support. Thus, the relationship with a psychotherapist can last a lifetime, like a family doctor whom you contact once a year or every few years as needed for the purposes of prevention or “routine repair.”

«A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step,” says a Chinese proverb. It is important to understand that you are the one who takes these steps towards yourself, and no psychotherapist or other specialist will do them for you. He may walk alongside, but you choose the path and the steps are your responsibility.

If there is such an understanding of psychotherapy, then you are unlikely to become dependent on such a psychotherapeutic relationship.

If you decide to act, I will be glad to accompany you on this journey - as an online psychotherapist  or during face-to-face meetings in Kyiv. To sign up for a consultation, click the button below.

Take action and you will succeed!