What therapy is and what it isn't

Most people don't understand what my job is really all about.  And by most, I include the general population as well as most of my family and friends.  There are a lot of misconceptions about therapy and what it entails.  Sometimes the easiest way to describe something is to describe what it is not.  So that is where I will begin.

Therapy is not:

• Sitting around blaming one's parents or childhood for all the problems in their lives
• An excuse to explain bad behavior or choices made in one's life
• Trying "to fix" people in one's life or change them into something they are not
• Something that has to last for years and years.  In fact, often clients are seen for only 6-8 sessions (or even less!)
• The same for everyone.  Every therapist is different.  Every therapist's style and approach is different.  So if you have a not-so-great experience the first time around, go find a different therapist!

On the flip side, here are some things that are true about therapy (from my perspective at least).

Therapy is:

• A way to look at where you are in your life and figure out where you want to go
• Helping you sort through how you got to this place and take responsibility for moving in a new direction
• A supportive, safe, confidential environment where one can express their true feelings and thoughts without judgement or biased input
• Like holding a mirror up to oneself and seeing the inconsistencies between what one feels, thinks, and does
• Learning to identify the tape playing inside one's head and determine if it is helping or hindering one's life (and changing it for the better!)
• Figuring out how to listen to one's inner truth and trust it
• Developing skills to problem solve in a healthy way and use those skills to address future problems
• Life changing for most people

What happens to girls

I saw these two pictures in the media on the same day.  What are your thoughts on body image?  Does one look better than the other?  What message do they send to girls in our society?