--- title: Getting Better - This isn't going to happen overnight description: Psychotherapy is hard work. Getting better takes courage, and tenacity to pull through an emotional obstacle. We have seen it before. You can do this. image: https://reallifecounseling.us/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/getting-better-1-1.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/getting-better-psychotherapy#main-content) [Current Clients Homepage ](https://reallifecounseling.us/rlc-client-homepage) [Emergency? Click Here for Crisis Help](https://reallifecounseling.us/real-life-counseling-crisis-help-page) [![Final Brand Color_Horizontial Logo copy 12](https://reallifecounseling.us/hubfs/Final%20Brand%20Color_Horizontial%20Logo%20copy%2012.svg "Final Brand Color_Horizontial Logo copy 12")](https://reallifecounseling.us/) - [About Us](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/getting-better-psychotherapy#) Show submenu for About Us - [Careers](https://reallifecounseling.us/employment) - [Getting Started ](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/getting-better-psychotherapy#) Show submenu for Getting Started - [How to get started.](https://reallifecounseling.us/getting-started-with-rlc) - [Providers](https://reallifecounseling.us/counselors) - [Support](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/getting-better-psychotherapy#) Show submenu for Support - [Services](https://reallifecounseling.us/services) - [Current Clients](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/getting-better-psychotherapy#) Show submenu for Current Clients - [Client Portal](https://rlc.reliatrax.net/ClientPortal) [Request an Appointment ](https://reallifecounseling.us/get-started) # Getting Better – This isn't going to happen overnight ![A person looking over a lake with snowcapped mountains in the distance. ](https://reallifecounseling.us/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/getting-better-1.jpg) So often, when I sit down with an individual person, or a family I hear something along the lines of, “fix it,” or, “fix me.”  Here’s the thing about **getting better** – this (whatever it is – anxiety, depression, relationship issues) didn’t manifest overnight, and it isn’t going to go away overnight. By the time most people seek out professional help for a mental health issue, the issue has become so big and unbearable that it can no longer be ignored.  Then they make their appointment, wait a week or two (if they’re lucky) to see someone and then show up hoping for an answer to their problems.  Here’s a hard truth: psychotherapists and [counselors](https://reallifecounseling.us/counselors/) do not hold the keys to the universe, and cannot solve all your problems in a single 55-minute session. It took you years to get to this spot, it’s going to take some time to sort through it, build skills and move forward. ## Here’s Another Hard Truth About Getting Better Psychotherapy is hard work.  It takes courage, and tenacity to pull through an emotional obstacle.  If you have a therapist you connect with, it won’t feel as hard and you might even enjoy it.  But you can expect to feel uncomfortable at some point in session and as you work through whatever it is that brought you here.  Discomfort is the meat and potatoes of psychotherapy.  It’s where the work gets done, and the growth happens.  It’s also a scary place to be because it feels vulnerable.  The good news: your therapist knows that, and will make sure you have the skills to cope with it.  The even better news: that the more time you spend growing, the more you’ll experience the increased confidence that you can and will get better. As much as we wish it were – this is not Hogwarts, it is Real Life Counseling. **There is no magic wand here**. They didn’t hand those out with our licenses to do this. We wish they would have – it would have made life, and our jobs, so much easier. The other thing about counseling that most people don’t realize is that it isn’t a counselor’s job to “fix you.” That’s your job.  Our job is to guide, reflect, validate, lend an objective perspective, and help you build skills.  You’re the one that must actually do the work.  I often tell clients, “I will work hard for you, but I will not work harder than you.” It is your life, and I’ll help you own it. ## You Can Do This In nearly every superhero movie there is a scene in which some person in a crowd sees some kind of danger and shouts out, “Hey! Look over there!!” Then the superhero looks, and leaps into action and makes the big rescue.  Psychotherapists are your “person in the crowd” in your very own superhero movie in which you are the superhero.  We can point it out, but we can’t do the work that saves the day.  You can though.  We know it because we have seen it time and time again.  You can do this.  It will be hard, but you can do hard things.  And the best part is when you work with a therapist at Real Life Counseling, you won’t have to do it alone. [Depression Issues](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/tag/depression-issues), [Anxiety Issues](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/tag/anxiety-issues), [Family Issues](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/tag/family-issues), [Grief and Loss Issues](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/tag/grief-and-loss-issues), [Coaching](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/tag/coaching), [Couples Issues](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/tag/couples-issues), [Children Issues](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/tag/children-issues), [Mens Issues](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/tag/mens-issues) Share On: [Follow us on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com) [Follow us on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com) [Follow us on Twitter ](https://www.twitter.com) [Follow us on Instagram ](https://www.instagram.com) [![Final Brand Color_Horizontial Logo copy 12](https://reallifecounseling.us/hubfs/Final%20Brand%20Color_Horizontial%20Logo%20copy%2012.svg "Final Brand Color_Horizontial Logo copy 12")](https://reallifecounseling.us/) ## Get in Contact with us ## Front Desk: 360-619-2226 Fax Line: 360-326-9691 [**Locations**](https://reallifecounseling.us/real-life-counseling-locations) East Vancouver - 1498 SE Tech Center PL, Suite 300 Vancouver WA  98683 Salmon Creek - 2501 NE 134th Street, Suite 201 Vancouver WA  98686 West Vancouver - 3606 Main Street, Suite 205 Vancouver WA  98663 Battle Ground - 105 West Main Street Suites 205 & 207   Battle Ground WA, 98604  Spokane - 316 West Boone Ave Suite 377 Spokane, WA 99201 ## Useful Links [Insurance & Payment](https://reallifecounseling.us/real-life-counseling-insurance-resource-page) [Request Appointment](https://reallifecounseling.us/get-started) [Find a Counselor](https://reallifecounseling.us/counselors) [Real Life Community Behavioral Health](https://www.reallifecbh.com/) [How to become a client](https://reallifecounseling.us/getting-started-with-rlc) [Current Client Homepage](https://reallifecounseling.us/current-client-home-page) [My Health Data Act ](https://reallifecounseling.us/my-health-data-act) ## Services [Individuals](https://reallifecounseling.us/real-life-counseling-services-for-individuals) [Couples ](https://reallifecounseling.us/real-life-counseling-services-for-couples) [Teens ](https://reallifecounseling.us/real-life-counseling-services-for-teens) [Children](https://reallifecounseling.us/real-life-counseling-services-for-children) [ Client Portal Login ](https://rlc.reliatrax.net/ClientPortal) ## About [Our Story](https://reallifecounseling.us/about-us-jen) [Resources](https://reallifecounseling.us/community-resources) [Our Services](https://reallifecounseling.us/services) [Blog](https://reallifecounseling.us/blog) [Career Opportunities](https://reallifecounseling.us/employment) ![Screenshot 2025-09-29 at 9.05.07 PM](https://reallifecounseling.us/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-09-29%20at%209.05.07%20PM.png?width=100&height=153&name=Screenshot%202025-09-29%20at%209.05.07%20PM.png "Screenshot 2025-09-29 at 9.05.07 PM") [ Provider // Staff Login ](https://reallifecounseling.us/staff/1099-page) ## Interested in partnering with RLC or joining our resource database? Contact us at: rlc-marketing@reallifecounseling.us   © 2026 REAL LIFE COUNSELING  |  [Privacy Policy ](https://20047855.hs-sites.com/real-life-counseling-privacy-policy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Mackenzie Dunham", "url" : "https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/author/mackenzie-dunham" }, "dateModified" : "2023-06-19T23:17:50.344Z", "datePublished" : "2017-08-23T00:12:12.000Z", "headline" : "Getting Better - This isn't going to happen overnight", "image" : [ "https://reallifecounseling.us/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/getting-better-1-1.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://reallifecounseling.us/blog/getting-better-psychotherapy", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://reallifecounseling.us/hubfs/unnamed.png" }, "name" : "Real Life Counseling, PLLC" } } ```