Understanding Psychotherapy

 

Sharing professional knowledge can help individuals to get the most out of therapy. This is a short introduction to psychotherapy. Psychotherapists can have different approaches and work in varying ways. But there are some key ideas that we all share…

 

Making the unconscious conscious.

Many of our issues arise from unrecognised conflicts or difficulties that we have experienced, that we might not be fully aware of or how they have affected us. This can lead to problems in our present. For example, a difficult childhood may have led us to struggle with trusting people, or a traumatic event experience may cause us to feel overly anxious even in situations that are safe. Psychotherapy aims to make these unconscious themes conscious, so that we can understand how our inner conflicts may be affecting us in the present day and move through them to a better place.

 

A bit deeper… We are made up of and impacted by all of our life experiences, but it can be hard to trace the origin of our inner conflicts and relationship patterns. Early childhood experiences shape our emotional lives and how we think and react to events in life. We may have built defences in childhood that made us feel safe and lowered our distress at the time but that are causing us issues as an adult. Sometimes rational discussion alone is not enough, particularly if we are unaware of what is behind or powering our current issues. With the help of a therapist, and art making in the case of art therapy, crucial unconscious ideas can be revealed and understood. By gaining a better understanding of yourself you may feel better equipped to manage your current life.

 

Transference

Psychotherapists are trained to use a relationship dynamic called transference. Transference involves experiencing some of the feelings you have towards someone close to you or from your past – like a partner or a parent – towards your therapist. For example, if you had an overly critical parent, you may experience your therapist as judgemental or unsympathetic towards you. In therapy we can be helped to notice and observe what might be happening and explore any distortions in our ways of thinking so that we can be freer to think, act and feel in a way that is better for us.

 

Unconditional Positive Regard

Psychotherapy can also help us heal from pain caused by previous relationships. With your therapist you can express feelings of need, anger or devastation without your therapist reacting in in ways that you might have come to expect from others. With repeated exposure to this type of empathic relationship we can come to develop an internal model of a safe, boundaried relationship and experience restorative feelings of validation and self-care.

 

Commitment to the Process…

Psychotherapy requires hard work and emotional effort. It is not something that can be ‘done’ to someone but is a collaboration, between you and your therapist. It needs a level of commitment to be effective. It requires that you are in the right place in mind and in life. You need to find the right therapist for you and be able to give the time and care that is needed for the process. But, if these factors are in place, psychotherapy can truly transform your life as it has for so many others.