Will Therapy Make Me Feel Worse Before I Feel Better?

You know that feeling when you clean out a closet? How everything looks messier in the middle of the process than it did before you started? How you sometimes wonder if you’ve made a mistake by taking everything out and spreading it around?

At Televero Health, we often hear a similar concern about therapy. People worry that opening up about difficult emotions or exploring painful experiences might temporarily make them feel worse. They wonder if therapy will stir up feelings they’ve worked hard to keep contained. They ask, “Will I leave sessions feeling worse than when I came in?”

It’s a valid question. If you’re already struggling, the last thing you want is something that makes you feel even heavier. So let’s talk honestly about what to expect.

The Truth About Emotional Stirring

First, let’s acknowledge the reality: Sometimes, therapy does temporarily bring difficult emotions to the surface. When you begin to talk about things you’ve been pushing down or avoiding, you might initially feel more anxious, sad, or unsettled than you did when those feelings were contained.

This is similar to how cleaning a wound might sting at first, even though it’s necessary for healing. Or how physical therapy often involves some discomfort while strengthening injured muscles.

The emotional equivalent can happen in therapy, particularly in the early stages or when addressing significant past experiences. You might find yourself:

Feeling emotions more intensely than usual

Noticing feelings that were previously numb or disconnected

Remembering aspects of difficult experiences more vividly

Becoming more aware of patterns or relationships that aren’t working well

This stirring up isn’t a sign that therapy is harmful or not working. Often, it’s part of the process of bringing things into awareness so they can be addressed and integrated.

This Doesn’t Mean You’ll Feel Worse Overall

While temporary emotional intensity can be part of therapy, this doesn’t mean you’ll leave each session feeling worse than when you came in. In fact, many people report feeling lighter after sessions, even when they’ve discussed difficult topics, because:

There’s relief in finally giving voice to things you’ve been carrying alone

Sharing with someone who responds with understanding rather than judgment can immediately reduce shame

Getting perspective on your experiences often helps them feel more manageable

The emotional release itself can bring relief, like finally crying after holding back tears

At Televero Health, we find that while some sessions might feel emotionally intense, most people experience an overall trend of improvement, with the difficult moments being part of a larger journey toward feeling better.

You Have Control Over the Pace

It’s also important to know that effective therapy isn’t about ripping off emotional bandages or forcing you to confront everything at once. You have significant control over the pace and depth of the work.

A good therapist will:

Help you develop coping skills before diving into particularly difficult material

Check in about how you’re handling the work and adjust accordingly

Respect your boundaries about what you’re ready to discuss

Make sure each session ends with some sense of stabilization, not raw exposure

Support you in processing at a pace that feels challenging but not overwhelming

This collaborative approach means that while therapy may involve some difficult emotions, it shouldn’t feel like being thrown into the deep end without support.

Signs of Productive Discomfort vs. Concerning Distress

How can you tell if what you’re experiencing is a normal, productive part of the healing process versus a sign that something isn’t working? Here are some guidelines:

Productive discomfort often:

Eases as the session progresses or shortly afterward

Doesn’t significantly interfere with your daily functioning

Feels connected to something meaningful you’re working on

Comes with new insights or understanding

Gradually decreases in intensity over time

Concerning distress might:

Feel overwhelming or out of control

Persist or intensify for days after sessions

Lead to new unhealthy coping behaviors

Feel disconnected from any sense of purpose or progress

Significantly interfere with your ability to function

If you experience the latter, it’s important to discuss this with your therapist. It might indicate a need to adjust the approach, slow down, or build more support resources before proceeding.

The Path Through, Not Around

Here’s what we’ve learned through years of supporting people on their healing journeys: Often, the path to feeling better goes through difficult emotions, not around them.

When we try to avoid or suppress painful feelings, they don’t actually go away. They affect us below the surface, influencing our choices, our relationships, and our wellbeing in ways we might not fully recognize.

Therapy provides a supported way to acknowledge these feelings and experiences so they have less power over us. Sometimes that means things feel more intense before they feel better – but that intensity is usually temporary, while the benefits of working through them are lasting.

At Televero Health, we’re committed to making this journey as safe and supportive as possible. We move at your pace, with your wellbeing as the priority at every step.

The courage to face difficult feelings now often leads to greater peace, freedom, and authentic happiness in the long run. The temporary discomfort can be worth the lasting relief that follows.

Ready to begin your journey with supportive guidance? Start here.