What to Expect in Therapy: A Plain-Language Guide

This article is general information published by the practice of Dr. Sholeh Toobaei, Specialist Psychiatrist, Dubai. It has not yet been individually reviewed by a clinician and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. Published: 1 September 2026.

Scope: This article is a general guide to the therapy process. It is not advice about whether therapy is right for you. A professional assessment can help you decide.

The first session

The first session is usually an assessment. The therapist will ask about your presenting problem — why you are here, what brought you to therapy now, what you hope to get out of it. They will ask about your history: your background, your relationships, your work, your physical and mental health history, any previous therapy or medication.

This information gathering is not interrogation. It is the foundation of treatment. A good therapist needs to understand your full context — not just what is wrong, but who you are, where you come from, and what supports you have. Some of these questions may feel personal or uncomfortable. You have the right to pause or redirect. A good therapist will respect your pace.

The first session typically lasts 60-90 minutes. It is the longest session you will have. Subsequent sessions are usually 45-60 minutes.

What happens in a typical session?

It depends on the type of therapy, but in most individual therapy, the session follows this pattern:

Check-in. How have you been since last time? What has been going on? What do you want to focus on today?

Work. This is the main part of the session — exploring a specific issue, practicing a skill, processing an emotion, working through a difficult memory, or identifying a pattern. The structure and focus depend on the therapeutic approach.

Summary and planning. What did we cover? What will you take away from this session? Is there anything you want to do between now and our next meeting?

Not every session follows this exactly. Some sessions may feel like you just talked without a clear focus — and that is often productive. Some sessions may feel unproductive, and that is normal too. Therapy is not linear.

What is "homework"?

Many forms of therapy — particularly CBT, DBT, and ACT — assign homework. This is not academic homework. It is practice. The skills you develop in therapy — identifying thoughts, tolerating distress, setting boundaries, regulating emotions — need to be practised in real life, not just discussed in a session.

Homework might include: keeping a thought record, practising a breathing exercise daily, having a difficult conversation you have been avoiding, or spending a day without using the coping mechanism you are trying to change.

Homework is optional, but it is also where most of the actual change happens. The session provides the space for reflection and support. The practice — the homework — is where the new patterns are built.

How long does therapy take?

It depends on what you are working on. Brief, focused CBT for a specific anxiety may take 12-20 sessions. Deeper psychodynamic work on long-standing relationship patterns may take months or years. There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

A good therapist will discuss expected duration with you and check in regularly about progress. If you have been in therapy for three months with no sense of improvement, that is worth discussing. If you have been in therapy for six months and still do not know what you are working on, that is worth discussing. If therapy feels like talking to the same wall, your therapist should be able to explain why and what the next steps are.

What is confidentiality?

What you say in therapy is confidential. Your therapist cannot share information about you with anyone else — your employer, your family, your doctor — without your written consent. This is a legal and ethical requirement, and it is the foundation of trust in the therapeutic relationship.

There are limited exceptions: if you are a danger to yourself or others, if a child or vulnerable adult is at risk, or if a court orders disclosure. These exceptions are narrow, and a good therapist will explain them to you clearly at the start.

In Dubai, as elsewhere, confidentiality is protected by professional codes of conduct. If your employer requests information about your treatment, your therapist should not disclose it without your consent (except in the narrow circumstances described above).

How do I know if my therapist is any good?

A few indicators:

They listen. Actually listen — not just waiting for you to stop talking so they can interject with a question or interpretation. You should feel heard after each session, even if nothing "solved."

They ask questions. A therapist who only talks or only nods is not doing their job. Good therapy involves thoughtful, well-timed questions that help you think differently about something.

They respect boundaries. They do not share personal problems that are not relevant to your treatment. They do not push you to disclose more than you are ready to. They are clear about their role and their limits.

They check in. They ask how therapy is going, whether it is helpful, whether you want to continue or change approach. Therapy is a collaboration, not something done to you.

You feel safe. Not necessarily comfortable — therapy can bring up difficult feelings — but safe. Safe to say things you have never said out loud, safe to be honest about feelings you are ashamed of, safe to be imperfect.

What if I do not like my therapist?

You have the right to change therapists. The therapeutic relationship is the most important factor in therapy outcomes, and if you do not feel a good connection with your therapist, it is unlikely to be effective. It is perfectly acceptable to say to your therapist, "I am not sure this is working for me," or to simply stop attending and find someone else.

In Dubai, the therapy market is large and diverse. There are therapists from many countries and training backgrounds. If your current therapist is not a good fit, seek someone else. Do not stay in a therapy that does not feel right because you feel you "should" give it more time. Some mismatch is normal; persistent discomfort is not.

What about online therapy?

Online therapy has become increasingly common and well-studied. For many conditions — particularly anxiety and depression — online therapy is as effective as in-person therapy. It can be more accessible, particularly for people with scheduling constraints, anxiety about leaving the house, or living in areas where the right specialist is not locally available.

The main limitations: some modalities (EMDR, some trauma work) are harder to deliver effectively online. Crisis situations are not appropriate for online-only therapy. And the technical aspects — connection quality, privacy, comfort with the medium — matter more than they might seem.

When should I seek help?

If emotional difficulties are affecting your work, relationships, or daily functioning; if you feel stuck in patterns you cannot break on your own; if you are using substances to cope; or if you simply feel that therapy might help — take the first step. You do not need to be in crisis. You do not need to have everything figured out. The first session is just an assessment — a conversation to see if therapy is right for you and what kind of therapy might help.

Seek urgent help — call 999 (police) or 998 (ambulance) in the UAE, or go to the nearest emergency department — if you are having thoughts of self-harm, if you have already been self-harming, or if you are in any way a danger to yourself. For non-urgent enquiries, use the appointment request form on this website. This practice does not operate a monitored telephone line, and a message sent through the form may not be read straight away.