COURAGE

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear."


-- Ambrose Redmoon

What Happens in Psychotherapy?

What happens in psychotherapy?  How does it work?

Psychotherapy is a process.  It is not like going to your internist, telling him/her what your symptoms are, taking the prescribed medication and then you're better.  It is a process developed out of the relationship and connection established between the patient and the therapist.  It is through this relationship that the patient and therapist work collaboratively to understand what is underlying the symptoms, issues, unhealthy patterns, and dissatisfaction.  It is with this knowledge of what is underlying, that the process of change begins.  This is the idea that "knowledge is power".  Knowledge is the power to be used for the purpose of change.    The therapist does not have the answers that are then given  to you much like your internist prescribes you medication.  But rather the therapist works together with you to discover what the answers are.  The answers are found together.  The therapeutic relationship that you and your therapist develop also becomes an important part of the healing process.  While there are many factors that go into change and growth, this, in brief, is what happens in psychotherapy.

Quote for the Day

"The aim of soul work is not adjustment to accepted norms or a statistical framework. The goal is a richly elaborated life connected to society and nature. The idea is not to be superficially adjusted, but to be profoundly connected in the heart." -Thomas Moore

"The right way to wholeness is made up of fateful detours and wrong turnings." -C.G. Jung

New Year's Resolutions

Here is an interesting essay in the Wall Street Journal by Jonathan Lehrer on willpower and it's limitations, "Blame it on the Brain". Among other things, he suggests that the best way to strengthen willpower is through self-awareness, i.e., through understanding what is creating the "flaw" in the willpower.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703478704574612052322122442.html

Is a medical illness causing your patient’s depression? — Current Psychiatry Online

Is medical illness causing depression? This is always a consideration in diagnosing depression. Here is a good article on possible medical illnesses causing depression

Is a medical illness causing your patient’s depression? — Current Psychiatry Online