Premade or personalized? The importance of individualized therapy in your mental health journey
- Lexi Johnson
- Jan 18
- 5 min read
Updated: 8 hours ago
Your sessions, your journey
Why is therapy sometimes effective and sometimes not?
So you’ve heard it over and over: going to therapy is a decision that helps you grow, heal, and become the best version of yourself.
But you just started going, and the sessions don’t feel like they have any value to you.
“What’s missing from my therapy sessions?”
Maybe you and your therapist don’t seem to be getting very deep in your discussions.
Maybe you’re left with vague advice that feels irrelevant or hard to implement in your life.
Maybe you’re asked to fill out worksheets that aren’t terribly helpful or don’t seem to apply to you.
So what happened?
Why is therapy effective sometimes and not other times?
It’s likely that one key component is missing, one that seems simple but is sometimes overlooked: personalization.
Premade or personalized?
If you sprain your ankle and go to the doctor, they might give you a premade boot to wear. If another patient with a hurt ankle comes in after you, he will likely receive the same boot: premade, one-size-fits-all. This boot provides the minor sprain some support as it heals.
But what if you broke a bone? The same boot cannot hold together a fractured toe and support a broken ankle.
That’s why, in this case, the doctor would wrap your leg in a cast – it can be formed to the shape of your foot and location of your injury, custom-fitted and hardened to ensure it heals properly.
Even if another person came in after you with the same foot injury, their foot would have a different shape and size and thus require a different cast. It’s the same material, but it is applied differently for you and the other person. And the final shape is fitted to the specific support you need.
Everyone’s feet are differently shaped and sized, and every injury is unique, which is why it is essential that your doctor knows the difference between wrapping up a broken toe and supporting a broken ankle, and can create a cast for each patient that suits their needs.
Like the form-fitting cast for wrapping your foot, therapists use proven mental health strategies to help their clients heal and grow, applied with specific knowledge of their clients’ lives and personalities to help them make choices that lead to greater fulfillment, whether it be personal or professional.
It’s always custom fitted.
At least, this is the ideal relationship with a therapist.
Cookie-cutter therapy
However, some people report feeling like their therapist takes shortcuts, providing shallow, vague advice or assigning lots of standardized “homework” without taking the time to personally understand and connect with the client during sessions.
This is often referred to as “cookie-cutter therapy” because the counselor treats their clients like cookie dough — as if they’re all the same and will produce the same results when put through a certain mold.
Psychology Today describes this type of treatment as a conveyor belt:
“The patients labeled with ABC jump onto it. They go through the XYZ treatment. Then they hop off the belt and smile, all the same way. Good to go,” (Tolchinsky, 2024).
Basically, instead of working with the client to establish a plan and strategy that work for their individual needs, the therapist states that they are “certified in XYZ,” or use “evidence-based methods,” and approach therapy as if their methods apply universally to all clients.
But when they generalize treatment, therapists may fail to recognize that each individual has their own needs which vary in subtle and not-so-subtle ways from the next person.
When they generalize treatment, therapists fail to recognize that each individual has their own needs which vary in subtle and not-so-subtle ways from the next person.
Universal, scientifically proven methods are helpful. But they can’t do the job by themselves. There has to be a therapist-client relationship in which the professional attentively listens to the client and helps them apply the coping strategies and life skills that fit their individual experiences and needs.
What is “individualized therapy” or “personalized therapy” in mental health?
“Personalized mental health treatment involves tailoring therapeutic approaches to fit each person’s unique needs, preferences, and circumstances,” (Goldenberg, 2025).
Unlike “cookie-cutter” methods or traditional “one-size-fits-all” approaches, personalized therapy takes into account the individual client’s goals, values, personality, core beliefs and specific situation.
It's very client centric.
It's focused more on the human being in the therapy room than on vague definitions of specific mental health diagnoses which may or may not apply or be helpful in the current situation.
Individualized therapy recognizes that mental health is a journey and every single individual's journey is unique. That means that the various evidence-based therapy techniques are applied discerningly in a way that will most benefit the specific individual on their specific journey.
“This approach acknowledges that mental health challenges can manifest differently in everyone, and therefore requires personalized attention to be effective,” (Goldenberg, 2025).
It’s also based on a dynamic, collaborative approach to accomplishing the client's goals for emotional health and wellbeing. It empowers clients by involving them in the treatment process (Alvarado, 2025).
And the client’s ongoing engagement and feedback are important so that therapy can continually adapt as their situation and needs evolve.
“Personalized care plays a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of mental health treatment. It empowers [clients] by involving them in their treatment process, fostering a collaborative therapeutic relationship between the clinician and the [client]” (Alvarado, 2025).
What should therapy be like?
Quality therapy is individualized or personalized: a counselor talks personally with a client, creating a connection. They help the client process significant experiences in their life, learn new life skills, and achieve personal goals.
Individuals who have experienced both one-size-fits-all "cookie-cutter therapy" and personalized therapy can attest to the difference in how it makes them feel and the benefit they receive.
Benefits of individualized therapy
Individualized therapy sessions have many benefits, including:
Clients learn more about themselves, their needs, and their emotional triggers.
They feel safe and more clear-minded to process experiences and make decisions.
With the personalized support of a counselor, it’s easier to build self-esteem.
Clients feel validated, seen and heard as an individual human being — as opposed to feeling reduced to just a diagnosis label.
Sessions don’t rigidly follow a predetermined schedule; they are tailored to the client’s individual needs.
Clients collaborate with their therapist on the direction and goals of therapy ensuring it adapts to the client’s feedback and evolving needs.
Evidence-based methods and approaches are flexibly applied like a customized, form-fitting cast — not a premade, one-size-fits-all boot. This makes them more effective.
Finding quality therapy
If you’ve gone to a counselor for a few sessions and aren’t getting any value from them, the first step is to talk with your therapist about your needs, what you hope to get out of therapy, and what you feel is missing.
Be open and communicate honestly. Therapists have a genuine desire to help their clients and provide the best treatment they can.
But if talking openly doesn’t help, it could be time to consider searching for a therapist who will better tailor sessions to your specific needs.
Whether your goal is to heal, grow, or take a new step, don’t settle for the premade boot — get the support you need to become the best version of you.
And don’t give up on therapy too quickly!
There are many therapists out there who are dedicated to understanding and connecting with their clients to help them on their unique journey.
If you have any questions about finding a therapist who is a good fit for you, please feel free to contact us.
References
Alvarado, C. (2025, March 25). The benefits of a personalized mental health treatment. The Neuropsychiatric Clinic - We’re Here to Help. Retrieved December 12, 2025. https://npcatlantis.com/the-benefits-of-a-personalized-mental-health-treatment/
Goldenberg, O. B. (2025, April 21). Discover the power of personalized therapy. Smart Therapy PC. Retrieved December 1, 2025. https://www.smartherapypc.com/post/understanding-the-benefits-of-personalized-therapy
Tolchinsky, A. (2024, March 14). How cookie-cutter treatments are presented as the standard of Quality. Psychology Today. Retrieved December 1, 2025. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/embrace-the-unknown/202401/how-cookie-cutter-treatments-are-presented-as-the-standard-of/amp
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