The Process of Therapy | What to Expect | Making the decision
The decision to get therapy is often very difficult and can require considerable courage and is only often considered when a problem has become compelling. In fact, everyone has troubles or concerns that would benefit from such help.
The process of determining and resoloving a problem only begins when you are willing to make this change. Perhaps you've tried other ways before... perhaps this is the first step. Wherever you are on your journey, you can be assured that any decision you make to change creates change itself... to begin the process.
Because it is a process. As much as we would all like to be rid of our problems like magic, the truth is that it is a process... you've had your problem for a long time... how long do you think it should take to be rid of it forever? However, even severe longstanding problems can usually be overcome comparatively quickly.
The therapy process
During the first session we will identify your reasons for therapy and what your goals are. We will explore what it's like to have what you want, instead of your problem. Then we will explore what is blocking you from getting what you want.
Whatever thoughts, feelings and behaviours that you have in relation to your problem will be acknolwledged and the process to diffuse any negative / unresourceful behaviours will be reprocessed so they no longer have a controlling power over you.
The aim is not simply to make you feel better... it's to resolve the underlying cause to the problem... it's not treating the symptoms of your problem, but the problem itself.... the driver to the problem. After the treatment, you will not be able to get back the bad feelings or negative beliefs from those causes. The issues will have been completely resolved. Your goals will now be achievable or you will at least be a step closer to them.
If you've chosen to take treatment with your intitial consultation, hypnosis (trance) work will be done towards the end of the session to linguistically weave in your solutions through suggestion during trance. This may be enough for you to have what you want... if it's clear that there are more more layers or aspects to your presenting problem then a further session is recommended and will be made to do further clearing.
That way it's there for you if you need it. We will both be pleased if you find that no further work is necessary and you decide to cancel it!
When the problem persists
Sometimes, if the problem has many layers or aspects, even after effective treatment and a temporary alleviation of the symptoms, the problem returns – and perhaps seems worse. Some people are tempted to terminate therapy at this point, reasoning that the problem is still there and so the therapy isn't working. Some people chase from one therapist to another – not because the therapy isn't helping (which would a good reason to terminate it!), but because they won't exercise the patience to see a process through.
When a problem returns, or re-emerges in a new form, in all likelihood the therapy is working. The situation is that some aspects of the problem have been completely resolved, but that other aspects have begun to present themselves. These aspects were more deeply hidden and buried, but as they resurface this means they can be cleared for good.
If you want to know whether the therapy is working, the question to ask yourself is this: have the aspects that we have addressed during the therapy been resolved? If so, the answer is definitively positive! Even if the problem itself persists temporarily, you are on course to resolving it completely and for good. You need perseverance at this point to see the process through.
Sometimes it's a matter of letting the dust settle. Like if you were to change the murky water of a pond... the natural state of water is clear... the best way is to wait while the dust settles to reveal the clarity of the situation.
Trusting the process
The
most important principle of therapy is to work with whatever comes up.
It's very important to trust the therapeutic process, which will lead
us exactly where we need to go - and sometimes it may be necessary to
take a different route to the destination than the one that was
expected.
Sometimes the therapy seems to relate only indirectly to the presenting problem. It often happens, for example, that people who come to quit smoking find themselves addressing problems from childhood that they really didn't expect to come up.
How many sessions?
How long therapy takes is really a question of how many aspects or layers the problem has. Usually not every aspect needs to be addressed, since the benefits of therapy tends to have a ripple affect. When a problem has a specific cause or a limited set of causes, usually between one and three sessions are all that are required.
For people who have experienced more traditional forms of psychotherapy or other methods of alternative health, or have struggled for years without effective help, it's often difficult to believe that deep and seemingly intractable problems can be remedied so quickly. However, by finding and resolving the precise causes of an issue, it really can be this quick and miraculous.
But some problems have many layers. If, for example, you had a severely abusive or neglected childhood, many more sessions may be helpful.
Although success cannot be guaranteed, it is extremely rare for a problem not to be satisfactorily resolved given our joint commitment and endeavour (both therapist and client are equally responsible for the success of the process).
I would not want to take payment from anyone who felt they hadn't been helped. You have nothing to lose. The chances are you'll be amazed at the progress you make!
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