When we aren’t feeling well, we make an appointment with our doctor. Nine times out of ten we will walk out with a prescription, and the symptoms tend to alleviate as the illness or symptoms clear.
When we aren’t feeling well emotionally, we may make an appointment with a therapist with the intention of alleviating the psychological burden we are facing.
In either case, it requires some self-investment on our part. Unfortunately, there is an undercurrent of belief in our society that doctors ‘have all the answers’, that ‘therapy will fix it,’ and yet that also implies that we don’t need to be an equal partner in our care. Is it important for us to seek medical attention and help for our emotional troubles? Absolutely. The helping professions are meant to help.
If you didn’t take the medication prescribed, the symptoms would worsen. It is the same with therapy. I like to tell my clients that 90% of the session happens outside of the room. The aha moments are meant to be applied, the skills we are taught are meant to be practiced, the patterns that led to our core beliefs are meant to be challenged. When we make the realization that we are meant to be an equal partner in our care, we see the fruits of our labour. We feel a greater sense of agency and accomplishment. We feel movement and growth.
Photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@elli19