Have you gone to a therapist..
Or a psychologist..and was it helpful .
What should one expect when they first go..?

I am going to my psychologist once a week, it can help, if you don't expect miracles. As she always says, she can only help me dealing with my condition in an appropriate way. But she can't take it away. Coping skills, it is called.

Thankfully I have so far been able to work through my problems myself, on just one occasion I needed a bit of help from a GP

I've tried years ago, and got *some* clarity on my mom's abuse of me.

But, that was it..
Most of the things they tell me to try (yoga, meditation, etc..) I have tried numerous times to no avail...

JME...

I've been to a therapist, as well as participated in a few psychotherapy college courses (which were designed around everyone actually going through therapy sessions as a group, and through experimental interactions with each other).

I gained a tremendous amount from it all, but only indirectly. That is, although none of the various therapeutic approaches and "tricks" and techniques were of ANY DIRECT benefit to me at all at the time, and gave me no insights into myself or my life, the overall PROCESS of working and dedicating myself to trying to grasp it all, very much did result in my building up my own personal "tool box" of tricks to use to get around MYSELF, eventually.

Between what I've done directly, and going with others through their sessions, the main thing a new client should expect, is for the therapist to start by asking you to try to make your therapy GOALS clear. Do you want to stop smoking? Start smoking? Get over a bad relationship? Figure out why you can't get one going? Get a better handle on why you THINK you want to do things, but keep on diving in, and then running away in fear, disgust, or abject boredom?

And so on.

Then, they will likely describe some possible approaches they are most familiar with using, and perhaps pick one to start on. Some people want classic talk-about-stuff-and-get-expert-analysis approach. Some may do better with direct experimentation. Some might want to try completely off the wall things, such as having you perform entirely weird, silly or crazy actions, just to sort of shake yourself out. Heck, some therapy actually works by getting the patient to be furious with the therapist, and more or less battle to prove them wrong...and through the battle process, they learn to fight more directly for themselves.

All kinds of things CAN work.

One of my greatest personal insights came about, because my therapist was intent on figuring out why I felt oppressed by my father, as therapists before her had also tried, to no avail. She chanced to ask me to do a sort of play act, pretending that a chair in the room was my father, and have me try to complain to the chair, hoping that I would blurt out some insight that we could follow up on.

Instead, I rebelled, and realized that I REALLY wanted to ask a completely unrelated question, to myself. No need to go into it here, but as you can see, the therapy did work, just not as the therapist was trying to MAKE it work.

And frankly, as long as you get where you want to go, the fact that you get there by turning the wrong direction several times, really doesn't matter. Right?

Yes, I have been to a therapist/psychologist. After my first husband died and I am not ashamed to say I am going again, I have just made the arrangements.
It helped me a lot, to have a wise professional to talk to and not someone who is known to you, because they are non judgemental and are there for you only.
But it is important to find a therapist you feel is right for you.
Go shopping.

I don't know.
It hasn't stopped Plankton from trying to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula.

Bubble wrap is cheaper.

If you want it to work it will. I've been in therapy my whole life off and on. It has worked for me when I wanted it to. Some times you need medication to help you through things, sometimes you just need someone to listen to some of your crazy thoughts and ideas. Some times they have access to resources that will help you as well.

Physical therapy gave me a hernia, they should be more careful with those electrical muscle thingies!

oh it's like these are made for me


some have had truly horrible experiences
some good
you will get a grab bag of mixed answers on this one


lot of it depends on choice
did you choose to go and talk to someone
or did someone drag you in kicking and screaming?


like anything else
shop around
find one that is a good fit for you

I have been with therapists and 1x with a psychologist.
All cases had to do with dealing with a partner/abusive relationship/getting over that.
Not that I was a sob case, but after 10 years with a narcissist I couldn't even begin to think what a normal partner & relationship should look like, so I decided I wanted help with that.
Last time was a psychologist, not a therapist, and again it was to deal with the aftermath of that relationship. Things came up again when I was in a new relationship, so I sought help. That was in 2017.
Yes, it does help, but you have to be willing. I've also had therapy yonks ago with my then husband for our family and relationship and in the end he just told the therapist "I don't care, I'm okay with how it is."
Great, a-hole. Could've saved me and our kids all that hassle if he'd said so right away. Months down the drain.
So... you got to want it.

I can vouch in another way that it works as well. I myself do coaching, not one on one, in groups, online. I've helped people with serious problems with great success. But all these people were motivated to have a change and being able to let go of the past.