Hi Adam,
Thank you for your positive comments and very good questions. Over time. I hope that Therapy Soup will begin to address those topics in some detail. My book Therapy Revolution, actually is an attempt to answer those very questions under the broader question of: How can patients empower themselves to get the most effective psychotherapy in a resonable time frame (for a reasonable amount of money).
I will briefly answer your questions here.
a) Yes! In fact, this can easily happen. It is the therapist’s job to make sure this is addressed.
b) I want to say that the majority of therapists enter the profession because they want to help people, and are educated to treat patients/clients based on the patient’s needs, not their own. However, like in any profession, some individuals might put their own needs first. This is unfortunate but shouldn’t stop people from getting the help they need.
You might want to go to http://www.richardzwolinski.com. I am in the process of posting information, including sections of my book, which help empower patients to understand what the basics of good therapy are so they can ensure they are getting the best possible care. I am also developing a newsletter that will address questions like yours and more–you can sign up for it at the site or send an email to info@richardzwolinski.com.
c)First, this is something that you and the therapist should talk about right from the outset. The optimal time-frame for therapy varies. Some people need brief therapy–a few, tightly focused sessions; some people with mental illness might need therapy over the course of a few or many years at regular or irregular intervals; but in my opinion, people without a mental illness but who are facing problems that they want to work out shouldn’t be in therapy for more than a year at the most. The end of therapy (discharge planning) must begin during the very first session. The treatment plan you and your therapist develop together MUST address the length of therapy right from the outset–otherwise patients get stuck in what I refer to as “endless therapy”. Of course, there is not space for a detailed answer here. Please see Therapy Revolution on this subject pages 140-147; 34-36; 118; 36-39; 60-61;197-204; 211.