Signs That Therapy Is Working

Progress in therapy does not always look the way people expect. It is rarely a single dramatic breakthrough, and it often appears as small changes that become noticeable only when you look back.

Signs of progress

You notice a reaction sooner, even if you cannot yet change it.
Reactions pass more quickly than they used to.
You can name what you feel with more detail and less judgment.
You set a boundary or ask for something that you would have avoided before.
Your inner critic is quieter, or you recover from a mistake more kindly.
You tolerate conflict or closeness with less fear.
Other people notice a change in how you respond.

Setbacks are part of the process

Old patterns tend to return under stress, and this does not mean that therapy is not working. In EFIT, the third stage, consolidation, involves noticing and strengthening the changes you have made, and part of that is recognizing how you respond to a return of an old pattern.

Discomfort and progress

Feeling worse for a while can sometimes accompany progress, because you are paying attention to feelings that you used to avoid. It is helpful to tell your therapist when this happens so that we can adjust the pace. A 2025 randomized controlled trial of EFIT found significant reductions in distress, depression, and anxiety after approximately 15 sessions, and many clients notice gradual changes across that period.

Checking in

Regular conversations about how therapy is going are a normal part of the process, and I welcome them. If you are unsure whether it is helping, you may find the article on when therapy does not seem to help useful.

Signs of progress

Setbacks are part of the process

Discomfort and progress

Checking in

Let's Talk