Before attending talk therapy, it’s common to be nervous or unsure how your sessions are going to unfold. In your first therapy session, your therapist will likely guide the conversation, asking questions about who you are and why you’ve decided to seek therapy. In later sessions, the conversation may be more open-ended, and you might wonder what to even talk about.
Common therapy discussion topics
Therapy is a place where you can unload, so you might talk about a wide range of different topics, and it may not always feel like you’re doing the deep or serious work many people associate with therapy. However, there’s no right or wrong topic to bring up with your therapist, and sometimes focusing on the small details of your life might open pathways to discover deeper topics. Just a few of the discussion topics you might cover include:
- Relationships – Whether you’re discussing your romantic partner, your overbearing boss, or ongoing annoyances with your mother, relationships are a very common topic in therapy. We’re surrounded by people in our daily lives—they may be part of our support system, or they may be sources of stress. So, it’s only natural to talk about how you connect with other people as you work with your therapist.
- Daily life and recent events – If you’re not sure what to say in therapy, simply start by recalling what’s happened to you in the past week. Your therapist may pick up on areas that warrant further discussion or lead to deeper topics.
- Traumatic events – Many people seek therapy to work through the aftermath of traumatic events, which may include car accidents, abuse, exposure to violence, or the death of a loved one. Digging into these types of traumas can be painful, but it may also illuminate current issues you’re having in your life, allowing you to move forward in healthier ways.
- Difficulty opening up – For some people, it’s incredibly difficult to open up. Talking about where that difficulty comes from can actually be very productive and allow you to unlock thoughts and feelings that you previously felt unable to share.
- Life transitions – Therapy may be particularly beneficial during times of transition, such as going to college, moving into a new home, getting married, having a child, or getting divorced. Even when changes are positive, they may bring about a wide range of feelings that might benefit from discussing with a professional.
Understanding your journey in therapy
At a certain point, you may feel like you’ve run out of things to talk about in therapy, which may be a sign that you can scale back or even stop attending regular sessions. Therapy is an ongoing journey, and it will evolve as you learn and grow from your sessions.
If you are considering starting therapy, find approachable, accessible care with Walmart Health Virtual Care. We offer virtual talk therapy to help you address a wide range of mental health concerns under the care of a licensed therapist.
