Show notes
What Therapy Can Do For You
The WISDOM podcast Season 2 Episode 44
- If you have ever wondered what a session of therapy could do, this episode is for you. -
TIMESTAMPS:
My Introduction and What Therapy Can Do For You: 💜 :00 | My Client's Diagnosis of Bipolar: 1:55 | Therapy is Far More Than Talking About the Past: 3:02 | The Two Positive Outcomes of Therapy That We Will Always Arrive at Together: 3:36 | Even After Healing Has Been Complete... 5:02 | Think of Therapy As a Healing Paradigm: 7:17 | Therapy Teaches You About Yourself: 9:16 | The Tools and Best Practices of Therapy: 15:28 | Good Therapy Is... 19:56 | My Client: An Afterward: 24:13 | Three Reflective Questions PDF: 26:52 | The JUNO app: 27:59 | Podcast Theme Outro: 28:47 |
How does one identify, effectively all of the ways that therapy can be of help?
How do we do this without embracing the experience itself when the idea of talking with someone can be overwhelming for some who don’t know where to begin, or how it can truly help?
TRUTH SERUM: In the past, the stigma associated with mental health has been a deterrent to seeking therapy.
What we are witnessing now, in this turbulent time of ongoing change and uncertainty, and with millions of people all over the world, experiencing more alone time and isolation than in any other time during their life, the effects of prolonged stress and the lack of support of mental health strategies and skills needed to live a healthy and productive and happy life; make it important to have the best therapeutic practices that are accessible by all people and in all languages and as much as possible - affordable and or free.
REAL CLIENT STORIES: When my client (who was), diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 18, some 20 years later, is in a spell of low affect, when her cognitive ability is challenged ~ simple processing tasks are impeded.
It is more difficult for her to make decisions for example, and to feel motivated to complete daily tasks.
Her usual upbeat and larger than life personality becomes submersed in what is now a quiet and somber, depressed version of herself, one that lacks confidence, and is often tormented by thoughts of ‘being a burden’ to her loved ones.
Her words to me in these moments as well as when she is feeling ‘like herself’ and happy again, are substantial to us all. She reaffirms the simple truth: ‘Your mental health means everything’. She is right.
A-HA MOMENTS: Therapy is far more than talking about a traumatic childhood event and reliving its scaring impact.
In fact, the way that it helps best to deconstruct a past event or trauma is to examine it from an enlightened perspective; to understand the situation and the context in a way that allows for healing, forgiveness, acceptance, peace – and the idea that whatever happened, and for whatever was done “to you”, there are always going to be two positive outcomes that we will arrive at together.
(1) The first is a more accurate comprehension and understanding of the situation and the new insights and discoveries that arise out of a search for greater meaning and from that, the ability to come to acceptance. Acceptance does not mean agreement with what has happened, but rather the willingness to acknowledge what has already occurred.
This allows you to psychologically move into a place of action; of rendering what will be the action that you need to take whether as an approach to how you think or what physical actions will help support you best.
(2) Second, healing occurs when you hold acceptance of ‘what is’, emotional, psychological, cognitive, spiritual, and often physical in the relief of symptoms that were once related to the situation of the past and your perspective of it. This healing is the return to your wholeness that you, that we all - are inherently seeking.
PRACTICAL WISDOM: Even after the majority of healing has been completed, therapy can continue to be a place where one experiences growth in other areas of one’s life ~ and hence the ripple effect of what it means to learn and discover more (about one’s self, including the different choices one may choose with greater understanding and perspective).
As a side note, it’s not about making excuses for someone’s behavior, or disavowing your feelings and how you have been impacted by a situation or another.
Rather, examining the past from the vantage point of a different perspective that I or another therapist can help with, brings new insight and awareness that allows for healing and to alleviate some or all of the pain and suffering that one may have been holding onto.
----more----
I’ve listed three reflective questions to get your started in your inner work here, in a free downloadable pdf. You may want to use these questions as journal prompts if you already have a journal writing practice in place.
These questions will help guide you to know yourself even better and to take the steps of positive change.
Sharing the wisdom and beauty of divine love with you...
Namaste 💗
*If you have a question or if you would like my guidance or help, please reach out to me: [email protected]
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A generous 'thank you' to Audio Engineer, P. Kirpikau for your excellent work! radioplato