Why Do I Feel Worse After Therapy? 10 Reasons & How to Cope

Why Do I Feel Worse After Therapy?

Therapy will bring up a variety of emotions that are deep within us. Uncovering these deep emotions can be intense and overwhelming and might amplify the feelings that we have before we can navigate them. You may feel worse after therapy if you’re addressing emotions that you have not dealt with before and are learning how to process.¹

Here are ten reasons why you may feel worse after therapy:

1. You Are Uncovering Trauma

Healing from childhood trauma can be very exhausting. When discussing this with your therapist, a variety of emotions will come to the surface and feel very difficult to navigate. While it will feel difficult to endure your emotions in session, it might feel difficult after therapy as you continue to think about what you have processed with support.

2. You Are Experiencing Emotional Flooding

Emotional flooding is experienced when a person is overwhelmed by deep and intense emotions that might result from a therapy session. When this happens, a person might have difficulty processing feelings and have unexpected feelings that are difficult to manage. As a result, a person feels unsettled and distressed in response to therapy sessions.

3. Your Therapist Is Not the Right Fit for You

If your therapist is not the right fit for you, you might feel worse after therapy. It’s important that you trust your therapist and feel comfortable around them. If you are starting to feel worse after therapy because something they said was too harsh or felt judgemental, it’s time to consider finding a therapist that is the right fit for you.

4. You Feel a Resistance to Change

You might notice that things are changing due to therapy, and you are not ready for the change. If too much change is happening at once, you might feel that you are feeling worse after therapy and having difficulty implementing some of the things you spoke about with your therapist.

5. You are Uncomfortable With a New Self-Awareness

Therapy teaches us parts of ourselves we may not have been aware of. When you have a new self-awareness, this can be uncomfortable to address and understand and therefore make it feel difficult to process. You may be feeling uneasy after therapy after finding out some new information about yourself. New self-awareness makes us question things, and that can feel unsettling.²

6. You Want an Immediate Solution

Therapy is not a quick fix. Therapy is a process, and that often includes some highs and lows. You may feel worse after sessions if you feel that the issues you brought to the table are not being resolved on the timeline you have in mind. Therapy will feel worse when an issue is not resolved right away.

7. You Feel There Is a Lack of Progress

You might feel there is a lack of progress if you continue addressing the same topic each week. Progress often does not mean moving forward each week, but it can be a matter of processing each week. If you feel you are not progressing, you might be frustrated and want to give up on therapy altogether.

8. You Feel Exhausted from Emotions

Therapy is work! And it can be exhausting to let out so many new emotions. You may feel worse after therapy because of feeling exhausted from experiencing these emotions so intensely and deeply. It can feel tiring to navigate through the emotions, and your body and mind might want to rest, which shows up as feeling worse after therapy.³

9. Your Relationships Are Changing

During therapy, you may begin to recognize the need to set boundaries with your loved ones. This might mean that relationships are changing. And although this may be for the better, change is often not easy, especially when it changes the relationships we have.

10. You Feel Vulnerable

Therapy is a space of vulnerability where you will open up about inner feelings. If this is something new for you, it might not feel all that great. You may feel worse after therapy if you feel vulnerable in ways you would not normally be open, and you might be sitting in fear of expressing feelings.

Is it Normal to Feel Worse After Therapy?

Your therapeutic journey has many highs and lows, but as you continue therapy, it is important to see an overall trend of feeling better. If feeling worse persists for over three sessions, consult with your therapist about what you have experienced. It is possible that the approach they are taking is not ideal or that they are not a good fit for you.

How to Cope With Feeling Worse After Therapy

Feeling worse after therapy might happen, and it is important to develop healthy coping mechanisms when outside the therapy chair. Properly decompressing after therapy can help navigate the emotions you have felt.⁴ Healthy coping mechanisms might include self-care activities, mindfulness, or journaling. It can also be helpful to find resources and support that will allow you to process this feeling.

Some ways to cope with feeling worse after therapy include:

Create a Post Therapy Self-Care Routine

Creating a post-therapy self-care routine can help you to cope as it allows you the time and space you need to care for yourself and the emotions that might have come up during therapy. This might look like taking time to go for a walk, taking a hot shower, or drinking a cup of hot tea.

Talk to Your Therapist About It

It is important to talk to your therapist about your emotions so that you can communicate how you are feeling and find validation, support, and ways to cope with these feelings too. Discussing your concerns can help you to process why you are feeling the way you are and gain a better understanding of coping skills to use.

If you are struggling to let your therapist know how you feel, take the time to journal your thoughts so that you can clearly communicate your concerns and explain how they come up for you. Your therapist is there to support you and uncover your feelings, even the ones that are related to the therapeutic process.

Things to keep in mind when talking to your therapist about feeling worse after therapy:

• Remember that this is their job, and they shouldn’t take it personally.
• Be honest about your feelings
• Advocate for what you need at the moment
• Discuss with your therapist any changes you have seen in the intensity of symptoms
• Be open to coping strategies they might give you to navigate your feelings
• Keep in mind therapy takes time, and they will give you skills to use for your current feelings and emotions

Seek Support From Loved Ones

Take the time to share with friends and family how you are feeling after therapy. Be sure to share with the people you feel most comforted and encouraged by. When you take time to speak with those that are outside the therapy chair, you feel validated and supported by those that know you best and who see you most often.

Practice Self-Compassion

Self-compassion is a skill to help you validate your feelings as a chance to remind yourself that you will have moments that are up and down. Take this time for self-compassion by nurturing your well-being and reminding yourself that you can have difficult days and reflect on what that means for your growth.

Engage in Grounding Techniques

Grounding techniques allow you to anchor yourself into the present moment and help you feel a sense of stability and calm that you might be craving. Diaphragmatic breathing, and mindfulness exercises such as the 54321 method are all examples of ways to ground yourself when not feeling good after therapy.

Set Realistic Expectations

You might be feeling worse after therapy because you did not hit a goal that you wanted to. This means you are setting expectations for yourself, and at times they might not be realistic. Take the time to reflect on why you are feeling the way you are and set realistic expectations for the therapeutic process moving forward.

Journal About What Happened In-Session

Take the time to write down your thoughts on what you experienced within therapy. Write down what you have learned that might be new or topics or events that were validated during your therapy session. Journaling for mental health gives you the chance to let go of the emotions that you might not have expressed during the therapy session.

Move Your Body

Take time to move your body! Your body might need to release endorphins after you have built up some emotions from your feelings of therapy. Exercise and mental health go hand in hand. Take the time to get moving to feel a sense of relief. This will help you to feel more grounded and less in a state of fight flight freeze fawn.