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It's one of the most honest and important questions a client can ask: is my therapy working? As a therapist, I never want anyone to feel they should just keep showing up on faith alone. Therapy is an investment of your time, money, and emotional energy, and you deserve to see it making a difference. The tricky part is that progress in therapy doesn't always look the way people expect. So let me offer an honest, clinician's-eye guide to recognizing real progress — and to knowing when it might be time for a change.
Signs Your Therapy Is Working (Even When It Doesn't Feel Like It)
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Progress is often quieter and subtler than people imagine. It rarely arrives as a single breakthrough moment. Instead, it tends to show up like this:
It's also worth knowing that sometimes therapy feels harder before it feels better — especially when you're processing something difficult. Temporary discomfort isn't a sign it's failing; often it's a sign you're doing real work.
How to Track Your Own Progress
Because progress is gradual, it helps to be intentional about noticing it. A few things I encourage clients to do:
- Set goals early with your therapist. Naming what you're working toward gives you a reference point to measure against.
- Check in periodically. Every so often, ask yourself — and your therapist — how things are going relative to those goals.
- Look back, not just at today. Compare how you're doing now to a few months ago, not to yesterday. The trend matters more than any single day.
- Keep a few notes. Jotting down moods or wins can reveal patterns of growth you'd otherwise miss.
- Talk openly with your therapist. A good therapist welcomes this conversation and will adjust the approach if needed.
When It Might Be Time for a Change
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I want to be genuinely honest here, because trust matters more than keeping a client: sometimes a particular therapeutic relationship or approach isn't the right fit, and that's okay. Here are signs worth paying attention to:
- After a reasonable period, you consistently feel unheard or judged.
- There's been no change at all over a long stretch, even after raising it with your therapist.
- Your concerns about the process are dismissed rather than explored.
- Your needs have shifted toward a specialty your current therapist doesn't offer.
If any of these resonate, the first step is simply to talk with your therapist — a skilled clinician will welcome the conversation and may adjust the approach or help you find a better fit. Needing a different therapist or method isn't a failure; it's part of taking your healing seriously. Sometimes within a practice like ours, that simply means matching you with a different clinician on the team whose specialty fits better.
My promise as a clinician: I would always rather help you find the right support — even if that's with someone else — than keep you in something that isn't serving you. That's what putting your wellbeing first actually looks like.
Therapy That Adapts to You, in Yuba City
At Everyday Counts Therapy Services, we see therapy as a collaborative process guided by your experiences, strengths, and goals. If you ever wonder whether your care is working, that's a conversation we welcome. Our team offers a range of specialties and approaches, so we can adjust — or rematch — as your needs evolve. Explore our services or individual therapy to learn more.
Wondering if your therapy is on the right track?
Let's talk about what progress looks like for you. New clients welcome — in person and via telehealth.
- American Psychological Association — How to tell if therapy is working: apa.org
- National Institute of Mental Health — Tips for talking with your therapist: nimh.nih.gov
About the author: Diauni is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist at Everyday Counts Therapy Services in Yuba City, CA. She specializes in grief, attachment, trauma, emotional regulation, and parenting support, with a warm, collaborative, patterns-focused approach. She practices under the clinical supervision of Kendra Davis, LCSW.
Everyday Counts Therapy Services · 1445 Butte House Road, Suite A & 1007 Live Oak Blvd, Suite B-1 · Yuba City, CA 95993 · (530) 770-1242 · Most insurance accepted · In-person & virtual sessions available.
If you or someone you know is in a life-threatening or urgent situation, please call 911, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or the 24-hour Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health crisis line at 888-923-3800.
