I went through two psychiatrists and three psychologists before I found one that helped me. At the time I found her, I had anticipatory anxiety every day for even the most innocuous social situations, I avoided anything socially that I possibly could (coldn't avoid talking to people at work), I was just generally terrified of everyone, and had no self-esteem whatsoever. After a couple of months of therapy, I had much less anxiety in all of the aformentioned categories. She worked on countering my mistaken beliefs about my self worth and inabilities, did a lot of relaxation meditation and hypnosis, and role playing, amng other things. She was a Godsend. She was just finishing her internship, so she was very up to date on all of the newest methods, and she used a lot of different methods (e.g. humanistic, CBT, etc). I hit a bit of a road block when she wanted me to start doing the behavioral aspect of CBT, and wanted to me to stop coming every week because she knew it was time for me to help myself, so I stopped going after 3 and a half years or so. I planned on returning but then I got fired for a failed drug test, and I haven't been back to due my lack of insurance... The best advice I can give is make sure that the person is right for you because some are better suited for specific mental illnesses and overall life challenges. Just ask if they think they are the best one in the office for what you're dealing with. This is all rather vague as to what to expect for each session. Initially, expect a lot of questions about yourself.
