For context, I (23M) live in the United States. In Ohio. A bit concerned about privacy because of the whole Nazi problem and the fact that I live in an abusive household.
I’ve been working on myself a lot recently and realized that I can’t do this alone anymore (or rely on Internet strangers to talk about my issues). I feel like I finally have the strength to ask for help in the real world. I’ve just never done this before. What’s it like? Is it warm and fuzzy, or cold and analytical? (Does it feel like someone is providing care and comfort, or is it more like an emotionally detached scientist meticulously studying you and scribbling down notes while mumbling “Hmm, I see, I see” while you yap at them?) Do you start to see results right away, or are things slow at first? How much stuff is recorded in a database that other systems can look up?
You’re allowed to decide a therapist isn’t a good fit for you and go for a new one. You should be aiming for a therapist you feel you can trust.
Therapy is mostly just awkward at first. It begins with learning to talk about how you’re feeling, and from there it’s largely just being gently nudged in different directions.
Results are often slow, but sometimes you have breakthroughs. Different types of therapy have different speeds though, and they’ll feel different too.
Personally my therapist doesn’t write much down specifically so that nothing can be subpoenaed. She told me that from the start. You’re allowed to ask about it and if they get mad you can thank them for their time and find someone else.