A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding the Right Therapy Services for Meaningful Change in Your Life
Last Updated on March 20, 2025 by Prath
Reviewed by April Justice, LICSW
- Published on 20 March 2025
You may be seeking therapy services in Malaysia to address a particular mental health issue, or you may simply want to improve your mental health.
No matter what your reason is, therapy sessions can help create meaningful change in your life.
With a plethora of mental health services available, it is absolutely normal to feel confused or overwhelmed with the process of choosing the right one.
Our blog is a step-by-step guide designed to aid you through this process and help you find the type of therapy that is the perfect fit for you.
This Article Contains:
Can Therapy Create Meaningful Change in Your Life?
Everyone begins therapy with the hope of seeing meaningful change in their mental health and overall life.
So, you may be wondering, will therapy help do that?
The short answer is – yes!
Therapy is a structured and scientific method proven to create positive change in quality of life.
A 3-Step Guide to Finding the Right Therapy Services in Malaysia
The first and biggest step in finding the right therapy services is deciding to start. Take a moment to pat yourself on the back for taking that bold step!
Below are three simple steps through which you can find the ideal type of therapy.
Step 1: Identify Your Goals for Therapy
You may be tempted to start directly by exploring different types of therapy services. However, defining your goals for therapy is a crucial step to finding the right fit.
Take some time to reflect on your current life and make note of any issues you are facing. Jot down anything and everything you wish to address or achieve through therapy.
It may also be helpful to ask yourself questions like:
- Why do you want to start therapy?
- Is there any specific goal that you wish to achieve?
- Is there a challenge or issue that is affecting the quality of your life right now?
- Are there any everyday problems you are facing? (eg work stress, feeling sad over a break up etc)
- Are there any mental health issues or disorders that you are struggling with? (eg depression, social anxiety disorder etc)
- What changes do you envision for yourself post-therapy?
Tip: Use a dedicated notebook or a notes application on your mobile phone to note down your answers. This may make it easier for you to revisit your goals throughout the process. In case your goals are not clear right now, it’s perfectly okay. All you need to do is have a rough idea of why you’re starting therapy. Your therapist will help you define them over the initial therapy sessions.
Step 2: Explore Different Types of Therapy Services
Once you have a clear idea of what your goals for therapy are, the next step involves exploring different types of therapy services.
The following subsections talk about some common types of therapy services. Read through them and choose the type that aligns with your requirements.
a) Individual Therapy
Individual therapy is the most widely practised type of therapy. Here, one therapist sees one client at a time and tailors their approach to the unique needs of the particular client.
It may be the right choice for you if you are an adult who wishes to see a therapist to work on your individual challenges or goals.
b) Couples Therapy
Are you in a relationship with another person and wish to improve your relationship together? Couples counselling could be the perfect answer to your search!
Following are some common reasons why people start couples therapy:
- Frequent conflicts, disagreements and arguments
- Challenges with communication
- Issues with intimacy and sex life
- Trust issues and infidelity
- Feeling disconnected from each other
- Pre-marital counselling
- Unresolved issues from past relationships
- Navigating a life transition together
A frequent misconception is that couples therapy is only for couples who are going through a rough patch.
Just as individuals pursue therapy for personal growth, you and your partner may choose couples therapy to strengthen trust, improve communication, or work on shared goals.
99% of couples in couples counselling say it has a positive impact on their relationship.
c) Marriage Counselling
Marriage counselling aims to help married couples work on their relationship together.
Marriage counselling is quite similar to couples counselling; married couples often face many of the same challenges as unmarried ones.
However, marriage counselling can also help address some unique issues such as:
- Differences in parenting styles
- Issues with in-laws and partner’s family
- Joint legal and financial disagreements
- Managing family events and obligations
- Fertility issues and struggles with conception
- Changes in identity as a ‘spouse’
- Navigating divorce or legal separation
- Co-parenting, post-separation or divorce
d) Family Therapy
You may be facing issues in your relationship with close family members. These could be issues that affect multiple people in the family such as:
- Adjusting to the medical diagnosis of a family member
- Instances of substance abuse by a family member (especially by adolescents)
- Loss of a family member
- Relationship conflicts within the family
- Legal or financial disputes
If you and the people in your family are open to working on your family dynamic together, family therapy sessions in Malaysia may be ideal for you.
e) Child Therapy
While many therapists who work with adults may also work with children, some therapists specialise in child therapy services.
Children may face unique mental health issues during their formative years. Teenagers and adolescents, in particular, may struggle with various issues such as bullying, comparison and peer pressure, low self-confidence and self-esteem etc.
It is important for parents to notice any changes in their child’s behaviour and day-to-day life. If your child is going through a difficult period or wishes to explore therapy services for personal growth, a child therapist is the right person to go to.
Step 3: Review and Shortlist Therapists
The previous section would have helped you decide which type of therapy is right for you. That brings us to the next step – finding the right therapist.
The effectiveness of therapy sessions depends largely on the therapeutic relationship between you and your therapist. Choosing your therapist carefully can help ensure this.
Here’s a quick mini-guide on shortlisting therapists:
a) Profile Review
Read through the profiles of different therapists and make a note of the following:
- Focus areas and skills
- Qualifications and certifications
- Client reviews
- Languages they offer therapy services in
- Modes that they offer therapy services in (online or in-person)
- Types of therapy services offered
- Approaches that they prefer
b) Type & Approach
Different therapists may specialise in different types and approaches of therapy.
Types of therapy, as we previously saw, include:
- Individual therapy
- Couples therapy
- Marriage therapy
- Family therapy
- Child therapy
A therapist practising in a particular type of therapy may also have a preferred approach. Some common therapeutic approaches include:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
- Psychodynamic therapy
- Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT)
- Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)
- Person-centred approach or humanistic therapy
- Eclectic therapy (ie a mix of different approaches)
Make sure to research different approaches and choose a therapist who practises one that resonates with you.
c) Goal Matching
After you have thoroughly researched different therapist profiles, bring out the notebook from Step 1.
Now, you can easily cross-check and choose a therapist who matches the goals you noted down.
What Kinds of Changes Does Therapy Facilitate?
Now, you may ask, what kind of changes can I expect to see in my life after I start therapy? The types of changes you may see and their effectiveness depend on a variety of factors including:
- The mental health issues you’re facing/want to address
- Your extent of participation in therapy
- Choosing the right therapist
- Your therapeutic relationship with your therapist
- Choosing the right type of therapy services
- How regular you are with sessions
It is thus virtually impossible to list every type of change that someone may see in their life upon seeking therapy. However, the following are some common outcomes and changes noted by therapy-goers:
- Improved emotional awareness
- Ability to notice and monitor negative thought patterns
- Increased resilience towards life changes and adversities
- Better self-compassion and self-love
- Reduction in symptoms of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression
- Ability to set healthy boundaries in relationships
- Better communication in relationships
- Development of healthy coping mechanisms
- Enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence
- Clearer goal-setting and identification of life values
- A greater sense of purpose
How Does Therapy Help Facilitate Change?
During therapy sessions in Malaysia, you and your therapist may choose to focus on one of two broad goals. These are: presenting problems and personal growth.
Presenting problems refer to any specific mental health issue or disorder that you may be facing in life.
Personal growth refers to the goal of working towards becoming your best self. You may seek to better understand yourself and improve your mental resilience and your quality of life.
Based on your broad goal, your therapist may create a personalised therapeutic plan to help you realise the changes you wish to see in your life.
Takeaways
Finding the right therapy services in Malaysia may feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be!
You can follow our step-by-step guide that outlines the entire process for you. Here’s a quick recap of the steps we discussed in this blog:
Step 1: Identify your goals for therapy – don’t forget the dedicated notebook!
Step 2: Explore different types of therapy services – Individual therapy, couples therapy, marriage therapy, family therapy, and child therapy.
Step 3: Review and shortlist therapists – Research different approaches and choose a therapist who fits your goals.
Once you have decided which type of therapy services to go with, and are ready to proceed with Step 3, you can review the profiles of TYHO Therapists in Malaysia here!
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