What is Therapy?
When we injure a physical part of our body, we tend to get treatment to help heal that injury. It is similar with the mind and emotions. If our psyche (our mind and emotions) has been injured, treatment of those injuries helps the healing process of our psyche. A healing process incorporates healthy coping skills to help us “move on, go forward, progress”.
Healing does require rewiring the brain. The brain’s limbic system (the feeling part) and the pre-frontal cortex (thinking part) need to work together for effective change. Many of our beliefs, feelings, and behaviors are maintained because we have, in an effort to survive, avoided the painful wounds and burdens that lurk beneath the surface.
Picture an iceberg.
We see the top of an iceberg (the part we show the world), but underneath lies the motives, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs (more hidden part). Treating a person in therapy, without going deep enough, can be like stitching up a wound without cleaning it up; the wound is more likely to remain sore, become infected, and require ongoing attention. Addressing the source of pain is key and not always easy.
Over time, discussing your concerns can help improve your mood, change the way you think and feel about yourself, and improve your ability to cope with difficult situations.
I am not a one size fits all type of therapist, but individually focused, using different modes of therapy, including talk, art, movement, music, and mindfulness, to name a few. The type of psychotherapy that’s right for you depends on your individual situation.