Ever wonder “Why does therapy work?”
When most of us start seeing a therapist, we are seeking solutions to something or help with a particular issue or support during a difficult time. What makes therapy work is the honoring of your unique and precious path that only you can walk and share with others. In therapy, the session is devoted solely to your healing and growth.
By attuning to you, a therapist can gently support you as you explore ways to bring you closer to your authentic self. Therapy provides support as you find your way through stressors. Therapy works because can explore your inner self and to experience new relationship dynamics in a safe environment.
Therapy facilitates insight into the why and the Then-What of your life. Studies show that xperiencing ‘corrective’ interactions with your partner or with your therapist may lend to healing of old wounds and negative patterns of behavior.
Why are things the way they are? Why was I treated this way? Why do I react that way? Why do I feel this way? Why can’t I control it? Why am I self-critical? Why are things not working out? Why am I afraid? Why am I feeling worthless?
The Then-What dimension of therapy begs the question: What do I do now? You might think “I don’t need to go into the past or figure out the ‘whys,’ I just want to change (me/my relationship/my situation/my income) as soon as possible to make things better.”
You probably will find that things get better when you can grasp, on some satisfying level, why things were/are the way they are. If you understand that what was previously a mystery, you then have a sense of what you need to let go of, re-think, see from a different perspective, forgive and/or have compassion for. It’s basic physics that you need to make space before new things come in. In order to move into the then-what dimension, you must clear the mental/emotional clutter.
You’re literally making space for your new way of thinking, feeling and existing. You’re laying new foundation to build this next evolving version of yourself. Your therapist helps you to discover new psychological tools, prompts you to look at things differently and/or affirms what you needed validated, but lacked necessary support for.