I often hear people saying that they do not want to have a clinical experience with therapy. I am told that people of think of a sterile room with a cold therapist who only says “how does that make you feel?” Another thought is that therapy is a procedure.
The client sits there and is changed…much as the idea of how a car is dropped off at a mechanic. Again, this is not true.
Then what is therapy?
First of all, the client is in charge. It is important to focus on what the client feels will be helpful. Yes, the therapist may step-in from time to time, if needed. The client needs to be working harder than the therapist. By this, I mean therapy sessions are actually meetings where ideas are formulated. It is then up to the client to practice, further research, and implement these ideas. The harder the client works outside my office, the better his/her results.
I believe it is important to focus on the positives in life. Yes, the client came to talk about problems and we will certainly cover that. However, if we only talk about problems and ignore the good in life, that will not be helpful. When I work with my clients, there is less of a focus on pathology and more of a focus on self-improvement.
So, is it clinical if you do a therapy session with me? I don’t think so. It is more about how we conduct our meetings and what mindsets we use!