Weekly is common at the start. Fortnightly, blocks, or monthly can work too. This piece helps you set a pace you can keep, when to change it, and when to seek other help.
Short answer. Most adults I see start weekly. A steady rhythm helps us remember what we are working with and notice change without rushing. The right frequency is one you can afford, keep up, and think in.
In short:
At the beginning, weekly sessions often make the most sense because we build a shared thread, and you do not have to keep re-explaining the basics each time. Consistency really does something. It lets us see what shifts between weeks, catch patterns before they harden, and give tricky topics enough space that you are not shoving them back into a drawer the minute the call ends.
Money and time matter, and I treat them as real constraints rather than moral tests. If weekly is hard to hold, we can start fortnightly and keep a light structure between sessions, such as a short note you write to yourself on what stood out. I care that you can show up regularly more than I care about matching a rule you found online. Rafiq, for me, means we choose a pace we can walk at together.
People choose a pace by looking at their energy, money, and what is happening in life right now. Start with something simple. When the week is stretched thin by care work, travel, or audits, a lighter schedule can make the difference between dropping out and staying present enough to think with yourself.
Signals to slow down include leaving sessions so wrung out that the rest of the day collapses, or finding that nothing lands because you are firefighting all week. Listen to your body. If sleep is shot and you are white-knuckling through tasks, stretching the gap can make the work gentler without turning it into avoidance, and it can give you time to test small changes between sessions.
Speed up when the material is slippery between sessions, when you forget what we spoke about, or when new stress keeps piling on before anything has a chance to settle. Try a short spell of closer spacing and watch whether you feel more anchored by the end of each meeting. We can then review what helped and adjust again without drama.
I am a counsellor in Bengaluru, practising since 2015. Work-wise, I see adults roughly 25 to 45, in English and Hindi, over video and in person. I am not a doctor and cannot prescribe; if medication might help, I refer to a psychiatrist, and we can keep talking alongside medical care if that suits you.
Some rooms are different. If you want a diagnosis for accommodation or legal paperwork, or you need urgent help because you are at risk of harming yourself or someone else, please use medical services or call Tele-MANAS on 14416, a free 24/7 helpline in India. Under 25? This is not your place; look for a counsellor who works with younger adults.
Wanting to stop can mean you are done for now, or that avoidance has shown up dressed as relief. Check it very plainly. Take two minutes after a session to write down one thing you are taking into the week; if nothing comes, that tells us something about timing and pace, and it points to a conversation rather than a quiet exit.
Video can make it easier to hold a weekly slot because you skip travel and waiting rooms. The room changes things. In-person can feel steadier for people who think with their whole body and need the quiet of a closed door to stay with hard material without the home noises leaking in.
Pick what you can repeat. If you travel often or split weeks across cities, a video rhythm can still be grounded by keeping the same day and hour, and by treating it like an appointment outside your home. Speak in the language that feels easiest to think in; I work in English and Hindi.
How often should I go to therapy at the start?
Weekly is a solid starting point because it builds a shared thread and keeps momentum. Fortnightly can work if money or time are stretched. We check how it lands and adjust. I care that you can keep the rhythm more than I care about what is typical. Review openly and change it.
Is weekly therapy necessary?
No single pace suits everyone. Weekly helps many adults hold the work, notice change, and avoid rehashing basics, yet some people do well with fortnightly or blocks and pauses. Choose what you can afford and keep. If things slip between meetings, try closer spacing for a bit and re-check together.
Can I change frequency later?
Yes. Bring it up early and we will set a small experiment, like moving closer for a few meetings or stretching the gap to see what shifts. Notice sleep, mood, and how the week feels. We then decide whether to keep it, roll back, or try a different counsellor if needed.
How long should I stay in therapy?
There is no fixed duration I can promise. Stay while you are thinking usefully, learning something about yourself, or getting steadier under stress. Pause when attendance is steady yet nothing changes, or when the work feels done for now. If safety is shaky, seek medical help or call Tele-MANAS on 14416.
What if I can only afford monthly?
Monthly can still help, especially for maintenance after a more frequent spell. Use notes between sessions, keep the same day and time, and arrive with one focus in mind. Start weekly if you can, then taper. If cost keeps blocking you, keep looking for a counsellor whose fee you can hold.
Written by Satlaj Sachan, a counsellor in Bengaluru working Book a first conversation.