302. How often are counseling or psychotherapy appointments scheduled?

There are many theoretical schools of psychotherapy which are too numerous to mention. The most frequently employed theoretical approaches are cognitive therapy, behavior therapy, and psychodynamic therapy. Often, psychologists combine cognitive and behavioral theoretical approaches depending upon the presenting problem and the treatment goals. 

Cognitive psychotherapy focuses on present problems and conflicts, although past issues may be part of treatment if they impact on present life adjustment. This approach assumes that psychological problems develop because of maladaptive expectations, assumptions, beliefs, and perceptions about ourselves and others, leading to ineffective coping behavior. Typically, cognitive psychotherapy sessions are scheduled once per week, although occasionally additional appointments may be scheduled. The length of treatment depends on the nature of the problem. Treatment may last only ten to twelve sessions, or may extend beyond one year. Most often, treatment is completed within approximately twenty to thirty sessions or less. 
Behavior therapy is more focused on specific problems, such as anxiety symptoms, so treatment is usually more compressed. The goal of behavior therapy is to eliminate problem behaviors, or to encourage the development of adaptive coping behaviors. Behavior therapy appointments are sometimes scheduled once per week, but can also be scheduled several times per week. However, the total number of sessions to complete treatment is usually between six and twelve sessions because of the specific focus. Behavior therapy is often combined with cognitive therapy. 
When psychotherapy was initially developing as a form of treatment for psychological problems, the only type of therapy available was psychoanalysis. In psychoanalysis, appointments were scheduled daily, usually six days per week, and the treatment lasted three to five years. The theory presumed that problems developed because of conflicts which started in childhood, and the treatment approach focused on resolving these early developmental conflicts. Psychoanalysis is less common now, although it is still practiced, but even this form of treatment has changed. Now, it is more common for psychoanalytic clients to have sessions two or three times per week, although the length of treatment may still span several years. 
The type of psychotherapy most similar to psychoanalysis is psychodynamic psychotherapy. This theoretical approach is based on many of the concepts of psychoanalysis, but has evolved over the years. Most often, treatment appointments are scheduled once per week, although clients are sometimes seen more often. Treatment usually lasts a year or longer, due to the nature of the goals of therapy, which are similar to those of psychoanalysis. 

So, the frequency of psychotherapy appointments depends somewhat on the theoretical approach used in treatment, but most often sessions are scheduled once per week. Sessions may be scheduled more frequently if there is a crisis, if behavior therapy is being compressed to obtain results in a shorter time span, or if the treatment is psychoanalysis, rather than a psychodynamic psychotherapy approach.