On Therapy
I thought, after having practiced therapy for some time (and after having received therapy in the past), that I should jot down a few notes on my experiences.
The most significant event in therapy is the repeated experience of feeling understood and esteemed by someone we value, even after we have shared with them things we feel vulnerable, or ashamed about ourselves. This is at the core what heels in therapy and sets the stage for growth.
Other events in therapy are also helpful and contribute to resolution and empowerment:
Gaining an understanding of our implicit beliefs
Gaining an understanding of how we function as humans,
Learning what helps our system thrive and what does not,
Discovering resources in ourselves we did not know we have (this applies to all of us),
Practicing what we learn,
Understanding how others are functioning,
Understanding what constitute fulfilling relationships and enjoying them.
But the most significant, in my practice, remains the experiences of feeling genuinely understood and appreciated, for no other purpose than being.
If you are a parent (remembering the moments of calm and pride) the following may resonate with you. As a therapist - and as a human -, practicing therapy brings me experiences of awe, warmth, and calm. A sense of having contributed to the good, of which all of us, including myself, are a part of, and a continued realization that all of us, in some ways, are connected.
As a client of therapy myself, the following words come to mind as a way to describe the experience of therapy: scary (before the first session :), warm, welcoming, supportive, curious, insightful, deep, calming, masterful, meaningful.