If
you are hurting inside, or your life just doesn't seem to be working,
talking with
friends or family members can sometimes help you feel a little better for a while. But,
even the most well-meaning friend can not
provide therapy. Therapy is a treatment
process that uses specialized
techniques of caring that have been designed to offer
effective,long-lasting help for people suffering from a wide range of
difficulties, such as
emotional distress, anxiety, marital strife, fears, a significant loss, or a clinical
disorder. Therapy can also help
fulfill aspirations for personal growth or
self-improvement.
One
of the biggest misconceptions about therapy is that seeing a therapist
is a sign
of weakness. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Recognizing
the need for help and
seeking professional therapy is a sign of both
strength and your determination to live a
productive and meaningful life! Working together, you and your therapist will identify
your goals (what you want to have happen) and agree on how you'll know when you are
making progress. Therapy has one clear and definite purpose: that something of positive
value and constructive usefulness will come out of
it for you.
Therapy has often been called the "talking
cure," since the exchange of words
between the client and the therapist can
appear to be the most obvious form of
communication that is going on. In reality, therapy can offer a much richer experience
than the simple exchange of words and advice. The thoughts and feelings you share and
the professional techniques the therapist uses are not nearly as
important as the
relationship you build together. Because the relationship with the therapist is so
essential to the effectiveness of the process, it is very important that you find someone
with whom you
feel a comfortable connection, a therapist who makes you feel
understood.
As therapy progresses and your trust in the
therapist's non-judgmental acceptance of
your thoughts and feelings is established, you will actually use the relationship as an
opportunity to reshape significant emotional experiences and work through problems in
your life.
In therapy, you intentionally make yourself vulnerable to another human being and
you may talk about some things that are very painful for you. However, it is the very
process of trusting that it's
safe to release your feelings--the good and the bad--and
knowing that the therapeutic relationship permits you to safely explore deeply felt
sources of conflict and dissatisfaction that will finally allow you to
make lasting,
positive changes in your life.
