Therapy is a safe space where you rediscover yourself, heal old wounds, and learn to navigate life with a little more grace and a lot more courage. What if I suggest that your character needs therapy, which would allow you to create fantastic scenes by depicting their therapy sessions? Therapy sessions can be transformational—both for real people and fictional characters. Including therapy in your story isn't just a question of realism; it's a decisive enhancement in terms of what you can do with your characters. Whether your novel is contemporary or set in a fantasy world, therapy scenes can expose reasons for your character's behaviors, past traumas, or unresolved conflicts, which can create an interesting aspect of the story. But how do you write these sessions effectively without turning them into info dumps or clichéd monologues? Here are a few strategies to get you started.

1. Understand Your Character's Needs: Know your characters first. Before you write the therapy session, ask some critical questions: Why is your character in therapy? Are they experiencing grief, trauma, anxiety, or something else? Knowing their challenges will guide the overall tone and emphasis of the session. In "It Ends with Us" by Colleen Hoover, for instance, Lily's reflective journaling is a therapeutic process that reveals how past trauma shapes her choices. It is not a conventional therapy session, but the depth and introspection are reminiscent of one. Let your character's emotional state drive the conversation.

2. Research Different Types of Therapy: Therapy is not one-size-fits-all. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychoanalysis, and art therapy all have their techniques and dynamics. Try to understand these methods profoundly, and your story will be more authentic. Similarly, in "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig, Nora's exploration of alternate lives becomes a reflection of existential therapy as she experiences her regrets and learns to redefine her purpose. When your character's therapist asks open-ended questions or tries to create new thought templates, it'll make it more relatable to the reader. 

3. Develop the Therapist as a Character: A therapist's style, personality, and approach can create an interesting character. You can create this by giving importance to these questions: Are they sympathetic and nurturing or purely clinical and detached? Consider Dr. Melfi from “The Sopranos.” Her professional demeanor is in sharp contrast to Tony's volatility, creating tension and showcasing his internal strife. Think about whether you want your therapist to challenge or support your character.

4. Show, Don't Tell: Avoid therapy sessions that turn into long-winded explanations. Try to convey emotions through subtext and body language. In "A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman, Ove's cantankerous behavior and small acts of kindness show more than dialogue ever could.

5. Use Conflict to Drive the Scene: Therapy isn't always everyone's cup of tea. You can include scenes where the characters may refuse to open up, deflect questions, or even clash with their therapist. These types of scenes create powerful tension. Camille Preaker, the protagonist in "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn, avoids trauma, which complicates her interactions with others.

6. Balance Realism with Pacing: Focus on moments of insight or tension. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie's talks with his teacher are therapeutic scenes. Each interaction is doled out just enough to keep readers invested without being completely bogged down in detail. Make sure your story has a strong pace, which keeps the whole scene exciting.

7. Integrate Therapy into the Broader Story: It's better to show how these therapy sessions affect your character's day-to-day existence. Maybe they struggle to implement coping mechanisms or gain the courage to confront a toxic relationship. Gail Honeyman's "Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" implies Eleanor's therapy courses and how they eventually reshape her perspectives and relationships.

8. Avoid Stereotypes: Consider the relationship between Will Hunting and his therapist in Good Will Hunting—it's raw, messy, and human. Make a good approach to view the interactions between the therapist and the character as relatable, recognizing that both are human and they aren't perfect.

To sum up, adding a therapy session or a therapist to your story creates exciting scenes. It can be an additional factor enhancing the plot or influencing the character. Make a wise decision by introducing them to your story and creating an impact on your audience.