Weekly therapy sessions are often considered the optimal frequency for many patients, especially younger individuals, for several reasons.
Maintaining the Therapeutic Relationship: Regular weekly sessions help build and maintain a strong therapeutic alliance, which is crucial for effective therapy. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP.co.uk) emphasizes the importance of this relationship in facilitating trust and openness, essential for young patients who may need time to feel comfortable sharing sensitive issues .
Flow of Therapeutic Work: Therapy is a continuous process, and weekly sessions ensure that the momentum of the therapeutic work is maintained. Gaps of more than a week can disrupt the flow, making it harder for the patient to re-engage fully in the therapy process. Private sector, and public sector such as the NHS generally agree consistent therapy can lead to more effective outcomes, particularly when dealing with complex mental health issues. It’s untypical to work outside of this regularity unless in exceptional circumstances.
Timely Processing of Events: A lot can happen in a person’s life within a week, particularly for children and adolescents who are in dynamic stages of development. Weekly sessions allow for the timely processing of events and emotions, preventing the accumulation of unaddressed issues. Counselling bodies, including the BACP suggest younger patients often need structured time to process and reflect on what comes up during sessions, which is facilitated by regular, frequent therapy. This creates a safe framework with routine for them to process and work within.
Shorter Therapy Duration: More frequent sessions can lead to a shorter overall duration of therapy. When sessions are spaced too far apart, it can take longer to reach a therapeutic positive end. This is because issues might not be addressed with the necessary depth, and the therapeutic relationship may lose some of its strength due to the time gaps between sessions. This can increase the risk therapy concluding prematurely and create negative experiences at vulnerable times.
Safeguarding and Well-being: For younger patients, weekly sessions also provide an important safeguarding function. Regular contact allows therapists to monitor the patient’s well-being and intervene promptly if any safeguarding concerns arise. This is aligned with safeguarding legislation and guidance that stress the importance of regular check-ins as part of due diligence in care .
Weekly therapy is particularly beneficial for younger patients because it supports the continuous therapeutic process, fosters a strong therapeutic relationship, allows for timely intervention, and ensures that professionals can fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities effectively. The predictability of such a framework, much like boundaries in routines in general, provides reassurance. Which can be quite grounding knowing this object of support is there at the same day and time each week.
