How do I know if therapy is working?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Judge therapy by function, not by how sessions feel: sleep and concentration improving, re-engaging with people, shorter spirals after triggers, skills showing up uninvited in real life. Progress is a slow slope with bad weeks, not a staircase - a flat month is not failure. By about three months of consistent work, you and your therapist should be able to name concrete changes. Months with no goals, no skills, and no change - or a therapist you cannot be honest with - justify a direct conversation or a switch, which is normal.
What to do
- Track function weekly. Sleep, social contact, trigger recovery time - the objective signals.
- Set goals early. "Working" needs a target; set it with your therapist in the first sessions.
- Review at three months. Name what changed; reset what has not.
- Switch without guilt when fit is wrong. The relationship is the vehicle. In crisis: 988 in the US, or your local crisis line.
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