what is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is a collaborative, creative process that promotes a deeper understanding of one's personhood and individuality. Though each patient's journey is different, there are a few commonly observed outcomes of successful therapy. According to Dr. Mark Winborn, a widely respected clinical psychologist and Jungian psychoanalyst, therapy can enlarge our capacity to symbolize, imagine, and reflect; help us better regulate our emotions; build our capacity to reciprocate in relationships; teach us to make conscious choices (as opposed to acting on unexamined assumptions); and strengthen our ability to tolerate not-knowing. In short, we can develop increased empathy for ourselves and others, build emotional resilience, and live our lives in a richer, more meaningful way.
In a sense, engaging in psychotherapy is like cooking a meal with the guidance of a practiced chef. You bring to the table the raw ingredients of your life: your complicated feelings, your confusing thoughts, your overwhelming challenges, perhaps a vague sense that something isn't quite right. And your therapist offers the knowledge, skills, and expertise to help you make the most of those ingredients. In particular, you'll start to notice and reexamine the emotional habits or tendencies that hold you back. And finally, your (perhaps not always obvious) desire to change and your therapist's commitment to support you are like the fire on the hearth that catalyzes the alchemical process of transformation. Together, you and your therapist prepare a satisfying and nourishing meal.
Interested in learning more? Click here to download a list of guidelines on how to make the most of your experience in psychotherapy.
In a sense, engaging in psychotherapy is like cooking a meal with the guidance of a practiced chef. You bring to the table the raw ingredients of your life: your complicated feelings, your confusing thoughts, your overwhelming challenges, perhaps a vague sense that something isn't quite right. And your therapist offers the knowledge, skills, and expertise to help you make the most of those ingredients. In particular, you'll start to notice and reexamine the emotional habits or tendencies that hold you back. And finally, your (perhaps not always obvious) desire to change and your therapist's commitment to support you are like the fire on the hearth that catalyzes the alchemical process of transformation. Together, you and your therapist prepare a satisfying and nourishing meal.
Interested in learning more? Click here to download a list of guidelines on how to make the most of your experience in psychotherapy.