Your experience is not uncommon. If someone goes into therapy with a high degree of skepticism, a tendency toward cynicism, and unrealistic expectations about the speed and magnitude of progress, they’re likely to feel disappointed. It’s analogous to the nocebo effect with medications.<p>I had an extended family member who had similar thoughts about their therapy: Complaints about the lack of metrics, constant suspicion that it was a waste of time, inability to point to solid progress. Every time she talked about therapy, it was complaints, cynicism, and suspicion.<p>Yet from our external view, it was obvious to see the positive impacts on her life. The slow but steady progress and improvement in her quality of life. The improved response to emotionally difficult situations and the better handling of life stressors. Her pride wouldn’t let her admit that therapy played a role in those improvements, though. That, and she refused to acknowledge small progress unless her problems were 100% solved, which isn’t a realistic goal.<p>If it helps, think of therapy as another tool in your tool belt to deal with life stressors and personal issues. Like any project, you can’t finish it with a single tool, but having more options in your tool belt goes a long way to increasing your odds. It’s still up to you to make an effort to learn how to use that tool correctly, which problems to use that tool on, and when you need to bring additional tools into the project.