What is psychotherapy?
At its heart, psychotherapy is about re-establishing a natural, integrated connection, both with oneself and others. Failure to understand this inevitably leads to interpersonal conflict and dissatisfaction. Difficulty in establishing or sustaining satisfying relationships, persistent conflicts with employers or co-workers, frustrating interactions with one's family—each of these is often a symptom of imperfect self understanding. To truly understand yourself is quite simply to BE yourself.
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With increased self-reliance, autonomy and independence, the various relationships in one's life naturally become more harmonious, satisfying and fruitful. By the same token, persistent struggles with friends, family, co-workers and romantic partners create internal tension. It is hard to simply relax or to energetically pursue one's life goals when one is distracted by interpersonal conflict and drama. Because personal struggles feed interpersonal struggles and vice versa, psychotherapy addresses both of these levels of self simultaneously. |
Dallas Whole Life Counseling emphasizes a cooperative treatmnent process, resulting in a close, mutually respectful relationship between the therapist and client. By calmly mirroring aspects of the client's experience back to him or her, the counselor facilitates greater awareness of underlying patterns of thinking, feeling and doing that keep the client from enjoying certain aspects of life, achieving overall satisfaction or simply "being" him- or herself. Therapy is more about establishing a safe, effective laboratory for increased self awareness and a supportive environment for profound personal change than it is about advice giving. For the counseling process to be effective, both the therapist and the client must be genuine, open and committed to growth.
Often, clients struggle with depression, anxiety or other common issues that present stubborn obstacles to satisfying relationships, connected emotional lives, fulfilling careers and a multitude of other psychological wants and needs. Undergoing a minimum of eight years of collegiate and post-collegiate learning and training, a psychotherapist is uniquely suited to help individuals address such problems. In addition, as emotional functioning closely interfaces with physical functioning, psychotherapy can help clients deal with medical issues such as chronic pain, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers and many other mind-body distresses and discomforts. As therapy is concerned with the most authentic, core self, some clients use the treatment process to examine conflicts related to spirituality, religion, life philosophy, grief and death.
Therapeutic approaches differ in many basic ways, but all encourage the client to see himself in a variety of new ways to facilitate dynamic change and personal growth. Sessions are usually scheduled on a weekly basis, but can be scheduled more or less frequently, depending on individual wants, needs and financial resources. Sessions typically run 50 minutes, and most therapists begin and end sessions in a timely manner so as not to impinge on the time of other clients. Treatment can be either short- or long-term in its focus, emphasizing cognitive-behavioral (CBT) and/or psychodynamic techniques. If you think you might be interested in scheduling an initial appointment, or would like to ask a specific question about psychotherapy, contact Dallas Whole Life Counseling.
