* While in therapy, they are motivated to change: They feel considerable internal pressure to do something to resolve their problems. They come to feel a sense of initiative and determination. They come to believe in the process of therapy and feel it can be of help to them.
* They are self-disciplined. They keep appointments regularly, they attempt to implement the therapist's recommendations, and they are less incapacitated by their difficulties than other clients with similar problems.
* They have a level of emotional maturity that is high enough to withstand some of the painful feelings or frustrations they encounter in therapy.
* Frequently they come to enjoy therapy.
Obviously, a great deal does depend on the therapist. And yet, while a good student can learn much in spite of a poor teacher, a poor student learns little from an excellent teacher. Successful therapy depends primarily on the client.
Other factors can affect your ability to succeed in therapy, but these are factors over which you have no control:
* whether you have the emotional support and sympathy of an understanding and tolerant spouse or family
* whether you have had a long history of emotional problems in connection with work and interpersonal relations (deeply ingrained habits are harder to break)
* whether precipitating factors brought about your present difficulties or they just appeared "out of the blue"
* how long you have had your present problem