How Long Does Therapy Take?
Written By: Marissa Halstead
One of the first questions many clients ask after sharing an overview of their lives during our 45–50-minute intake session is, “How long is this going to take?” I almost always laugh—not because it’s a bad question, but because it’s a bold one to ask someone you’ve just met. I’m never offended, though, because I completely understand. Counseling requires time, money, vulnerability, and a lot of effort. Digging up old wounds isn’t exactly how most people want to spend their Tuesday morning at 9:00. While I can never tell someone exactly when healing will happen, I can confidently say that it takes time.
For Example..
For example, if I’m working with a 43-year-old woman who has experienced significant trauma, we’re not going to resolve decades of pain in six sessions. Healing simply doesn’t work that way. I recently came across a quote that perfectly captures this reality: “Mental health healing happens through a non-linear process of nervous system regulation, cognitive rewiring, and self-compassion that gradually moves the body and mind out of survival mode.” That pretty much sums up what counseling is!
Non-linear process
The part I especially want to highlight is the phrase non-linear process. Healing isn’t a checklist where we complete one step after another and suddenly become the best version of ourselves forever. That would certainly be nice, but it’s not how life works. In fact, one of the most surprising signs of healing is that you may actually feel worse before you feel better. As difficult emotions surface and old wounds are processed, it can seem like things are getting harder instead of improving. At that point, many people start thinking, “I’m going to be in therapy forever.” But that isn’t true, either. You have the capacity to heal and live an abundant life.
Neuroplasticity
In His wisdom, God designed us with something called neuroplasticity—our brain’s ability to grow, adapt, and change throughout our lives. When you hear people talk about “rewiring the brain” or “forming new neural pathways,” they’re referring to neuroplasticity. Your brain physically changes as you learn new skills, gain new knowledge, and experience healthier emotional patterns. We even see this in physical rehabilitation. For example, after a stroke, undamaged areas of the brain can often compensate for damaged areas by taking over certain functions.
The same principle applies to mental health. As healing takes place over time, the more rational, thoughtful parts of the brain become more active again, while the overactive survival response gradually quiets down. In other words, your brain begins to recognize that you’re no longer living in the same danger you once were. This doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen.
There is so much more to say about this topic, so stay tuned for future blogs where I’ll unpack some of these concepts in greater depth. For now, here’s the takeaway: your brain was designed to change and healing is possible. It takes time, intentional effort, and patience, but it’s always worth it.
