The Basics

I started these posts curious to open up an exploration of what feels fundamental to therapy. After going back over the first three I noticed that they form a good working description of what I would consider the necessary basics of effective therapy.

Therapy is a space that helps create healing, growth, and change. One of the most meaningful ways it does this is by making known to us what has been unknown, both about us and about what might help us. This affects us powerfully when it creates the experience of feeling truly heard, seen, and understood by our therapist.

This combination can be simple or go quite deep.

A focused, curious conversation aimed at illuminating our lives can reveal a tremendous amount about us. It helps us value and trust ourselves, shows us new ways to relate to ourselves and those close to us. It opens up new possibilities for change. Profound healing becomes available as we share the sometimes painful details of our lives while feeling understood and accepted.

These experiences build on each other and deepen the overall experience of therapy. It's why a fairly one sided conversation with someone who starts out a stranger can have a lasting impact on our well-being.

I plan to keep exploring what feels fundamental to me about therapy but I wanted to take a moment to consider this simple, yet profound, picture of what is happening.

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