It used to be that only really “crazy” people needed therapy. There was a stigma. There still is, to some extent. Men in particular — loathe to seek help of any kind, from directions to medical care — are less likely than women to go for therapy.
And for many people, psychotherapy isn’t really “necessary.” But it is efficient, and that’s the real benefit. You could probably, eventually, figure out how to change that dysfunctional behavior pattern you’ve got going on, or disrupt that dynamic that torpedoes your relationships over and over again.
But why waste all that time? Having someone else see you from the outside in, instead of your own hamster-wheeling thoughts going round and round in the same pattern, telling you nothing new, can be a shortcut to a happier life. Having someone who doesn’t judge your secretly shameful thoughts or behaviors, and reminds you of your strengths and gifts when you can’t find them with a map and are sure aren’t there, can be an absolute life-line.
Psychotherapy doesn’t have to be only for the crazy, or desperate. It can be for anyone who is tired of getting in their own way and are out of ideas about how to stop doing it. It can be for anyone who finally recognizes that there is another way to live, and they want some help in getting there.
Psychotherapy also doesn’t have to be an extended, years-long process. I’ve worked with people who have come in wanting to change a pattern, or get rid of a fear, or clear a trauma, and we’re done in a few sessions. Sometimes even just one, though that’s unusual. (Note: this is one of the huge benefits of using energy psychotherapy). Lots of people come in for a while, work through some issues, leave, then come back when something else comes up (could be months or years later), and leave again.
But — efficiency. I’m a big fan of using energy psych techniques on my own — they are great tools for coping with the challenges of being alive and conscious. But there is undoubtedly magic that happens when two people connect energetically together. There is a quantum that happens. It’s simply more powerful. Shifts happen faster, inspiration comes more powerfully and clearly.
So working with someone else when you’re stuck with something and frustrated just helps you work through it faster, and get back to being your own happy self that much more quickly. Why wouldn’t you want that?
Hugs,
Martha