Why You Feel Like Therapy Isn’t Working for You
If you feel like therapy isn’t working for you yet, you’re not alone. Many clients gain insight, understand their patterns, and learn what should help—yet their daily life doesn’t change in the way they hoped.
They hear their therapist recommend foundational habits that support mental health—consistent sleep, daily movement, reducing alcohol use, getting outdoors, setting boundaries—and respond with:
“Yeah, but…”
“Yeah, but I like staying up late.”
“Yeah, but I don’t enjoy exercising.”
“Yeah, but that’s how I relax.”
This reaction is incredibly common, and it doesn’t mean you’re resistant or unmotivated. It means you’re human.
It also reveals a core truth:
Insight alone isn’t enough to spark change.
At Psych Associates, Dr. Gabriel Cline offers an analogy that helps clients understand why progress often stalls—and what to do next.
Insight vs. Action: The Real Reason Therapy Progress Stalls
Many clients truly do understand what their therapist is suggesting. They agree that certain habits improve mood and functioning. They can even talk through the benefits with clarity.
But understanding is not the same as doing.
Insight is the map—
action is what moves you along the map.
Therapy becomes frustrating when you know what would help, yet struggle to follow through. You show up every week, discuss your goals, but life feels the same.
This is where a powerful analogy from Dr. Cline helps shift perspective.
Dr. Cline’s Rudder and Engine Analogy: How Therapy Actually Creates Change
Dr. Cline explains therapy using a simple metaphor: a boat.
Your therapist is the rudder.
A rudder guides direction. It helps you navigate obstacles, clarify your goals, and point you toward healthier choices. The therapist provides expertise, structure, and support.
But you are the engine.
No matter how skilled the therapist is—or how well-designed the rudder—
the boat cannot move without the engine.
This analogy isn’t about blame. It’s about empowerment.
You already possess the power to generate movement.
Your therapist helps you steer that movement effectively.
Even one small action—five minutes of walking, a single boundary, an earlier bedtime—begins to turn the engine. And once the boat moves, momentum builds.
Common Reasons Therapy Feels Like It Isn’t Working
Overwhelm Makes Change Feel Impossible
When goals feel too big, the brain shuts down. Even helpful steps become paralyzing.
Discomfort With Change Keeps You Stuck
Change disrupts familiar routines—even if those routines aren’t helping. Staying the same can feel easier than trying something new.
Hopelessness After Past Attempts Can Block Progress
If you’ve tried and “failed” before, activating the engine again feels pointless.
Insight Alone Doesn’t Shift Behavior — Action Does
Knowing why you do something doesn’t automatically change what you do.
Insight helps you understand the current, but action moves the boat.
What Helps Therapy Start Working for You
Therapy begins working when insight and action start to meet—even in the smallest ways. You don’t need a major life overhaul. You don’t need perfect motivation.
You need movement, not perfection.
Small, consistent actions are enough to create traction.
When the engine turns on, even slowly, your therapist can help you steer with clarity and support.
You’re Not Failing — You Just Haven’t Started the Engine Yet
If therapy isn’t working for you yet, it might not be the therapy at all.
It might be that your engine hasn’t had the chance—or the guidance—to start moving.
At Psych Associates, our team helps clients take realistic, manageable steps that make progress feel possible rather than overwhelming.
Your therapist is the rudder.
You are the engine.
And together, movement becomes not just possible—
but sustainable.
Ready to Move Forward? We Can Help.
Whether you’ve felt stuck in therapy before or you’re beginning the journey again, you’re not starting from scratch. You already have insight. You already have strength.
All you need now is a little momentum.
We’re here to help you find it.