One of the most frequently asked questions by people who want to attend psychological therapy is how long they will be there and how long a session at the psychologist lasts. Incredibly, this is usually one of the most frequent reasons or excuses why other people are not convinced to go to therapy or give up continuing, because the sessions are not adapted to their work or study schedule or because the sessions are very long in your perception.
On the other extreme, there are people who procrastinate their evolution on purpose so that the sessions never come to an end, both on their corresponding day of care and on the established intervention time. Therefore, every psychologist must have rules regarding the average attention and intervention times, so they can prevent both scenarios.
Approximate duration of a session at the psychologist
As a general rule, individual therapy sessions last 40 or 45 minutes for each case. But there are also some exceptions to the rule, especially the first session that can last up to an hour or if it is a special session, where the patient overflows emotionally and it is necessary to reassure him so that he can recover.
If this occurs, it is the therapist’s obligation to announce to his other waiting patients that the session will be extended, so that they can verify his availability or reschedule the appointment. But they should never be less than 30 minutes, unless it is not an intervention session, but a follow-up one.
Why don’t sessions at the psychologist last less?
The main factor for this is having the greatest availability to fully listen to the patient. Most of the time, people come in feeling uncomfortable or shy about sharing their problems, so they need time to adjust and open up to their therapist, and this doesn’t happen in 10 to 20 minutes. Especially, because some patients feel more confident almost at the end of the session.
Another important reason to have this time is because as therapists, we must give feedback to our patients, once the work is finished. This is done in order to review the intervention, the improvements and the shortcomings to be strengthened.
Can they last longer?
There are patients who cling tightly to the sessions because they feel safe and protected. Although this is positive for the advancement of therapy, it can also be counterproductive, since it is possible for patients to develop dependency. If the session lasts longer than the established time, there is a risk of procrastinating the results.
After all, we work with people who need firm direction, and the best way to start with that is by setting a schedule that they must stick to. For this reason, it is important to establish clear and specific rules regarding the duration of both the daily consultation and the intervention sessions as a whole.
How many psychological sessions will I need to recover?
The interventions are very varied, these depend on the case that is presented in consultation and the psychologist’s preference. But in general, these usually last between 7 and 15 sessions, although there may be cases where they extend to 20.
- In this sense, if the therapist is, for example, from the cognitive-behavioral branch, the sessions are shorter and more profitable. They usually last between 7 and 14 sessions.
- For those with a humanistic tendency, they can last a little more than 14 sessions, but never go beyond 20. Unless it is a special case.
- While traditional psychoanalytics can reach 20 sessions, although those from the branch of psychodynamics usually have 14 sessions.
- Currently, there are psychologists with an eclectic tendency, that is, they combine various intervention techniques, so the intervention time continues to be between 7 or 14 sessions.
It is never recommended that the intervention sessions be extended too long (exceeding 20 sessions), because the objective may become blurred or the patient may deviate from solving their problem completely. It is always necessary to maintain a fixed direction and fully work what is assigned for that day and for this it is necessary both the determination of the psychologist and the commitment of the patient.
From personal experience, both as a therapist and as a patient, time passes very quickly and I was rather surprised at how quickly it came to an end. So if you are looking to go to therapy and the time factor is something that ties your hands, do not hold back and reach an agreement with your therapist.
