Train of thought

[tovaks]

When I was coming home on the T from my placement, I noticed a couple of young kids munching on jelly lollipops with Santas in the middle. They carefully ate around the figures of Santa even when it was unwieldy and messy to do so. Finally, when there was no jelly left, the two kids spontaneously and without consulting each other started eating

Comments

[dkaine]

But really I don't think it's even a matter of therapy. People only need therapy when they are unable to confront their own issues themselves. The therapist's job (if they are indeed talented enough) is to be the strengthening agent or catalyst that brings their patient to the edge where the patient must then be convinced that they are indeed strong enough to face their issues.

If the patient is still unconvinced, then either the therapist has not done their job/they are not really good therapists, or the patient just isn't ready. Some people are never ready to face their own issues. I mean think about those people who can never make themselves eat the metaphorical santa candy, I'm sure we all know at least one person. Some of these people can learn to live with their issues, others are completely at the mercy of their "problems".

Returning to the "question" at hand, I would say that the reason people dance around issues, is due to human nature's fear of the unknown. Those of us who can't go, "ok, this is the thing that is causing all my other things" or, "well I need to figure this out, b/c if I do figure this out, I'll understand myself better, and I will be a better person for it...", these are the people who succumb to human nature. Just the way people are. The big question would probably be, what is it that causes people to be afraid of what they don't know. Why is it that, someone is automatically afraid of exploring themselves from the inside, why they act the way they do, how they come to the conclusions they make, etc. and doing this by themselves. Why must they have a "guide", and for that matter, what makes this guide any more qualified than the next person to lead someone on an exploratory journey through themselves? After all this is what therapy is all about, isn't it?

Not belittling the field, and those who are on their way to becoming therapists... just throwing in my $0.02.

[tovaks]

*Cough* Hi, stranger. Law school? Mazel tov!

Well, for me, this entry is about therapy, because that's where my mind was during that moment on the train (plus the fact that I'm training to be one right now). Thanks for the extra disclaimer at the end.

You're right that this doesn't just apply to therapeutic relationships--but people who don't need therapy (not that need it or some other form of help but aren't getting it) can generally face up to whatever's bothering them on their own, or at the very least, can function for a time without having the problem addressed while they get ready to face it. Eventually, though, those who are "just not ready" and remain so indefinitely will miss out on a lot of life's experiences or even have adverse reactions, and despair by the time they reach old age when it is too late to do anything. For the long-term, I think, it is better to try and conquor fears or issues or whatever rather than consciously sitting on them for years.