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