What is therapy?
Therapy is a long process that requires commitment and yet it holds great gifts for the client. At some point, the client usually looks back and sees how much they have changed with some kind of awe and wonder. It is possible to examine our lives and see ourselves for what we really are. And there is a sense of relief in releasing other people’s expectations from us as well as taking responsibility for our own choices and lives. We can choose to release fear or judgement and take a conscious decision to be kind towards ourselves. These usually require work, commitment to therapy and the therapeutic relation, time and energy. It usually requires a 50 min. appointment once a week to discuss and perhaps to experiment with new ways of doing and being.
Why go into psychotherapy?
I find the relevant excerpt from the book “The Examined Life – How We Lose and Find Ourselves” by Stephen Grosz particularly telling when it comes to the reason why to go to psychotherapy:
At one time or another, most of us have felt trapped by things we find ourselves thinking or doing, caught by our own impulses or foolish choices; ensnared in some unhappiness or fear; imprisoned by our own history. We feel unable to go forward and yet we believe that there must be a way… [There can be no change without loss.]
And as Martin Buber has said, “We can be redeemed only to the extent to which we see ourselves.” Therapy is the vehicle through which change is possible by having a safe space to take on what is often a daunting task – self-discovery.
What issues can be addressed during a psychotherapy session?
Well, the spectrum of human life is vast and thus all issues are welcome. The typical issues that a lot of us seem to be struggling with are the following:
- Self-esteem
- Grief and bereavement
- Loss
- Anxiety and Stress
- Burn-out
- Professional issues
- Relationship issues
- Frustration for not getting our needs met
Of course, there are issues that some of us tend to feel more than others and these could be:
- Sexual orientation
- Gender issues
- Sexual fantasies
- Repression
- Lack of self-acceptance
- Fear
- Lack of desire for life
- Depression
- Spiritual or existential crisis
All these and more are welcome during a psychotherapy session as it is the safe space where these issues can be explored. Not having an issue is also welcome, as this might be the starting point of self-discovery for some.
