One of the most common questions people ask when they start therapy is how long it will take. If you’re dealing with anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, or other mental health issues, you might want clarity about the length of treatment before you commit. The honest answer is that it depends—but there are helpful patterns based on the type of therapy, your goals, and what you’re working through.
What Influences the Length of Therapy?
Generally speaking, the length of therapy is shaped by a few key factors:
· The mental health condition or concern you’re addressing
· The type of therapy you choose
· How often you attend a therapy session
· Your goals, support system, and life circumstances
Some people benefit from a short, focused period of work. Others find that longer therapy provides space to explore deeper patterns, past experiences, and recurring relationship dynamics.
Short-Term Therapy: Structured and Goal-Oriented
Certain approaches are designed to be time-limited. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) often focuses on a specific set of symptoms or problems, like panic attacks, social anxiety, or negative thought patterns.
In CBT, a common structure might involve around 16 weekly sessions. During that time, you and your therapist identify thought patterns, practice new coping skills, and try different behaviors in your daily life. This doesn’t mean everything is “fixed” in 16 weeks, but many people see meaningful progress in that window.
Short-term formats can also include:
· Brief talk therapy for a specific life transition
· Skills-focused therapy for stress, communication, or emotional regulation
· Group therapy programs that run for a set number of weeks
These can be especially helpful if you have a clear goal and want a structured approach.
Longer-Term Therapy: Going Deeper
On the other side of the spectrum, some people stay in therapy for years. This doesn’t mean something is wrong. It often means they find ongoing support helpful as they move through different seasons of life.
Approaches like psychodynamic therapy typically involve exploring early experiences, relationship patterns, and underlying emotional themes. This kind of work can take longer, especially if you’re unpacking long-term struggles, trauma, or deeply rooted beliefs about yourself and others.
Longer therapy may be especially supportive if you’re:
· Untangling long-standing relationship patterns
· Processing complex or repeated trauma
· Managing chronic mental health issues over time
· Maintaining growth and accountability after a major life change
Different Formats, Different Time Frames
The length of therapy can also vary based on format:
Individual Therapy
Most people attend once a week for 45–60 minutes, especially when they first start therapy. Over time, some shift to biweekly or monthly sessions as they gain stability and need less frequent support.
Couples Counseling
Couples counseling often uses 60 to 90 minutes per therapy session to allow both partners time to talk and work through patterns together. Some couples attend for a few months to address a specific issue. Others continue longer-term to strengthen communication and stay connected as life changes.
Group Therapy
Group therapy is usually time-limited and structured. You might attend a group for 8–12 weeks focused on topics like anxiety, grief, or substance abuse recovery. Some groups are ongoing, while others have a clear start and finish date.
Therapy for Substance Abuse and Recovery
When mental health issues overlap with substance abuse, the length of treatment can extend significantly. Therapy may start more intensively—multiple sessions a week or a
combination of individual and group work. As sobriety stabilizes, sessions may become less frequent but continue over the long term to support relapse prevention, emotional regulation, and rebuilding your life.
Adjusting the Length as You Go
One important thing to remember is that therapy is not a fixed contract. You and your therapist can revisit the length of therapy as you go. You might:
· Start therapy weekly, then gradually move to monthly sessions as things improve
· Pause when you feel stable, then return during a stressful period
· Shift from short-term work into longer exploration if deeper themes surface
The most helpful approach is to talk openly with your therapist about how you feel the process is going. Your goals, energy, and circumstances may change, and your treatment can change with them.
How to Decide What’s Right for You
When you start therapy, it can help to ask:
· What am I hoping to change or understand?
· Do I want a more structured, time-limited approach or space for ongoing exploration?
· How much time and emotional energy can I realistically invest right now?
There is no “right” length of treatment. The best fit is the one that supports your mental health in a sustainable, meaningful way.
Therapy in Northern California or Virginia
If you’re in San Francisco or Virginia, or nearby neighborhoods, our therapists can help you explore the kind of support that fits your life. Whether you’re looking for short-term, goal-focused work or longer therapy to address deeper patterns, we’ll tailor a plan that respects your needs and pace.
Reach out today to schedule an in-person or online therapy appointment with one of our Los Angeles clinicians and begin a path that’s right for you—whether it lasts a few months or becomes a long-term source of support.