How often should you go to therapy?

For most people, it's standard to have weekly therapy in the beginning. If you're consistent, though, you'll be able to build trust more quickly and gain momentum with your progress, and experience the benefits of therapy more effectively. You're also more likely to find insight into your daily life and relationships, which will be extremely useful throughout your journey.

If weekly appointments feel overwhelming, it may help you to know that the frequency can shift over time based on your progress and evolving needs. If you're seeing positive changes and meeting your goals, your therapist might suggest gradually transitioning to biweekly or monthly sessions.

Several personal and situational factors can influence how often you should attend therapy, including:

• Current mental health challenges: Why you go to therapy comes into play when we look at how often you should go. Are you in crisis or experiencing burnout, anxiety, or grief? If so, weekly sessions can offer vital support when you need it most.
• Long-term vs. short-term therapy goals: Your goals for therapy are crucial to everything from the type of therapy you seek to how many times you should schedule appointments. If you're going to therapy for a very specific concern, like a phobia, you might have a shorter experience, where your appointments are intense at first but can taper off quickly as you learn coping tools.
• Emotional bandwidth and ability to process between sessions: Everyone processes things at different rates. You may need weekly sessions to address complex issues and emotions. Or, you might need space and time between appointments to reflect and recover.
• Practical considerations: Logistics play a significant role in therapy cadence. Time constraints, finances, and flexibility can all impact how often you seek therapy. Online therapy sessions from Headspace can effectively reduce some of these barriers, making therapy more affordable and convenient.
• Your therapist's approach or therapeutic model: Therapists use varying therapeutic modalities. Some are rigid and demand more frequent sessions, whereas others can be more flexible, which might mean you don't have to go as often to see the benefits. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) frequently involves homework and more therapy sessions. In contrast, trauma-informed care is more flexible, which can accommodate your readiness and comfort levels.

Therapy schedules are tailored to individual goals and preferences. However, if you're new to attending therapy, you should know that research indicates attending weekly sessions offers a higher likelihood of recovery and faster progress for most individuals. That said, it's normal (and healthy) to adjust frequency over time as you see signs therapy is working, according to your treatment plan.

Wondering if it's time to switch things up in your therapy sessions? The following tips might indicate you're ready for a new therapy schedule and treatment approach:

• You feel overwhelmed or emotionally drained after sessions
• You're making strong and fast progress
• You're feeling more stable
• You want more or less support based on your current circumstances and needs

If you're concerned about the pacing of sessions, have open conversations with your therapist. They can help you determine the most appropriate schedule.

Headspace therapy makes everything about the process easy-from access to licensed therapists to customizing your schedules, we're there to offer you the support you need.

Benefits of Headspace include:

• The option to increase or decrease frequency as needed
• Pairing therapy sessions with guided meditations, mindfulness tools, and other mental wellness content so you're supported between sessions
• A supportive, flexible partner in every phase of your therapy journey

There is no "perfect" pace when it comes to how often you should go to therapy. The right schedule feels supportive and sustainable, so you can make progress. Therapy is a process, and it's okay to adjust along the way. Whether you go weekly, monthly, or somewhere in between, Headspace is here for you. Our goal is to help you feel seen, supported, and empowered by your mental health journey.

Reach out today to learn more about how online therapy from Headspace can help you become the best version of yourself.

_Sources:

_{1. Erekson, D. M., Bailey, R. J., Cattani, K., Klundt, J. S., Lynn, A. M., Jensen, D., Merrill, B. M., Schmuck, D., & Worthen, V. (2021). Psychotherapy session frequency: A naturalistic examination in a university counseling center. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 69(4), 531-540. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000593. Accessed July 31, 2025.}