The Power of 8 Blog Series: Week 2

You Want Therapy That Actually Works

"How often should I actually go to therapy?" If you've asked this question, you're already thinking carefully about your healing journey, and that matters.

Monthly sessions might feel more manageable: less overwhelming, easier on your schedule, gentler on your budget. That makes complete sense. You're trying to balance self-care with the realities of your busy life, and once a month feels like something you can actually commit to without it taking over everything.

But here's what I wish someone had told me when I was first exploring how therapy works: the frequency of your sessions matters just as much as showing up at all. And monthly therapy (especially at the beginning) often keeps people stuck in the very patterns they came to therapy to change.

The Problem: Your Brain Needs Rhythm to Heal

Here's what actually happens with monthly therapy: you lose your momentum.
The human brain forgets emotional learning fast… much faster than most people realize. By the time you return a month later, the insight from your last session has faded. The emotions that felt so workable in the therapy room have dulled back into the background noise of daily life. The motivation that sparked in that vulnerable conversation? It's scattered and hard to reconnect with.

It's not your fault. It’s simply how the brain works.

Research shows that emotional and behavioral change requires repetition within a two-to-three week window. Monthly therapy simply doesn't provide that frequency. Your brain treats each session like a separate event. Emotional memories reconsolidate best within one to seven days. Behavioral patterns require repetition within ten to fourteen days. Synaptic changes strengthen with consistency.

Think of it like learning a new language. If you practiced Spanish for one hour a month, how much would you really retain? You'd spend most of each session remembering what you learned last time. Your brain treats monthly therapy the same way. Each session feels like starting over.

There's a Better Way

At Eckert Centre, we've seen the difference that frequency makes. Clients who attend weekly sessions consistently tell us: "I finally feel like I'm getting traction." "Things are actually starting to change." "I don't lose the thread between sessions anymore."

This isn't coincidence, it's neurobiology.

Weekly sessions are considered the clinical gold standard because they offer enough time between appointments to practice what you've learned, but not so much time that progress disappears. Your brain stays in the "learning zone." Your coping skills strengthen through repetition. Your patterns actually shift because you're catching them again and again, while the memory is still fresh.

The therapeutic relationship deepens faster, too. Your therapist gets to know you because they're walking alongside you through the ups and downs of your actual life, not just checking in occasionally.

In cognitive psychology, this is called the spacing effect: learning requires the right balance of repetition and proximity. If sessions are too far apart, your brain treats them like separate events with no cumulative benefit. Weekly therapy hits the sweet spot: close enough to build on what you've learned, spaced enough to give you time to practice.

The Plan: Start Weekly, Then Adjust

Here's what we recommend at Eckert Centre:

Weeks 1–8: Weekly sessions (or as close to weekly as your schedule allows). This is where you build the foundation of trust, understanding, and momentum. Your nervous system learns what consistent support feels like. This aligns directly with the foundation of our Power of 8™ — Eckert Centre’s Therapeutic Transformation Model — Eight Sessions. One Transformative Path. This is where you build the trust, understanding, and momentum needed for real change.

Weeks 8–16: Biweekly sessions once stability and momentum are strong. You've built skills and self-awareness by now. Biweekly gives you more space to practice independently while maintaining the connection. 

After goals are met: Monthly sessions for maintenance and relapse prevention. This is where monthly sessions makes sense for checking in, fine-tuning, and addressing new challenges as they arise.

Notice that monthly comes after the core work is done, not instead of it. Think of monthly therapy as the long-term wellness stage, not the early change stage.

Why This Matters Even More for Certain Challenges

If you're navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, or ADHD, frequency becomes even more important. These conditions rely on nervous system regulation, predictability, and repetition. They require co-regulation, which is the experience of being with someone who helps your nervous system settle.

The research is clear: irregular therapy can actually increase symptoms of anxiety and avoidance. Trauma work is ineffective (even destabilizing) when spaced too far apart. Clients with ADHD need regular rhythm and accountability to make progress.
Monthly therapy might feel like you're "doing something", and that intention matters. But it often keeps you stuck in the same cycles you came to therapy to break.

Imagine Having Real Momentum

Picture what it would feel like to actually see progress each week. To build on insights rather than losing them. To have a therapist who knows your story deeply, who catches patterns as they emerge, who walks beside you through the hard parts and celebrates the victories.

Yes, weekly therapy is an investment of time, money, and emotional energy. But it's an investment that actually works. And isn't that what you came to therapy for?

You Don't Have to Do This Alone

We know weekly therapy feels like a big commitment, especially for parents, professionals, and caregivers juggling so much already. Our team will help you create a plan that fits your emotional, financial, and scheduling needs. We'll work with you, not against your life.

Your brain, your nervous system, and your relationships will thank you.

And remember, you can always adjust later. Many clients start weekly, then move to biweekly, then monthly as they build stability.

The key is giving yourself enough runway at the beginning to actually create change, not just talk about it.

Ready to build real momentum? Let's talk.

About the Authors
Michael Szabo, MACP., Registered Provisional Psychologist
Michael works with adults, teens, and families on the neurodiversity spectrum. From Autism to ADHD to trauma, Michael's goal is to help build an appreciation for your individual brain style and worth. His approach centers on creating a space where you can explore your experiences with curiosity and compassion.

Kimberly Eckert, M.Sc., R.Psych.
Founder & Executive Director, Eckert Psychology & Education Centre. Kimberly is a Registered Psychologist who has led a multidisciplinary team in Calgary for more than 30 years, providing counselling, assessments, and neurodiversity-affirming learning supports. Although she no longer sits in the therapist chair, she oversees clinical excellence across all programs and continues to shape the clinic's integrative approach to individual and family well-being.

Additional Reading and Resources
How Long Does Therapy Take?
Adult Counselling
Teen Counselling
Family Therapy
Free 15-Minute Consultation
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