Psychotherapy, It's Not What You Think

November 2003

Vol. 1 No. 1

Psychotherapy – It’s Not What You Think

If your back hurts, chances are that the best solution is to rest it and hope the pain goes away. Most of the time it will. But if the discomfort persists, it can be useful to seek help. A skilled professional such as a chiropractor, osteopath, or massage therapist can provide therapy that may assist the healing process. Such assistance may not always be 100% effective, but will often result in a welcome degree of improvement.

Similarly, if you are stressed, depressed, or feeling a bit overwhelmed with current life challenges, chances are that the best solution is to make sure you get some exercise and a few good nights’ sleep. Most of the time, you will feel better soon. But if these feelings persist, it can be useful to seek help. In this case, the skilled helper can be a psychologist – a person trained to help you get moving in the right direction.

Unfortunately, most people do not think about seeking psychological help when they are feeling stressed. One reason is that most people still equate psychotherapy with a deep and mysterious process that requires months or years – with some undefined goal of insight or personality change. They don’t want to spend months or years being analyzed, and so they avoid seeking help. This makes sense. But modern psychotherapy isn’t what they think it is.

Perhaps modern psychotherapy should have a new name. In fact, a new name for such assistance is beginning to emerge – called “life coaching.” Life coaching is really at the core of the psychotherapy enterprise. Psychotherapy is all about coaching – about helping you to see new ways of looking at situations, and about showing you new ways of dealing with life challenges. If you are worried about looking for a new job, for example, a modern psychotherapist would not spend two years with you, at three sessions per week, analyzing how childhood issues are somehow causing your current concerns. A modern psychotherapist would instead help show you to more effectively look for a job, to prepare you for job interviews, and to map out strategies for greater success in the workplace. The whole process usually takes just a few sessions, and is covered by most insurance.

This style of therapy is much more effective and efficient than old-fashioned, “deep” procedures. Is it always as effective? Generally, the science studies suggest it is much more effective. Does it always work? Of course not – but it usually does. Most people feel much better by the end of the very first session.

Psychotherapy has an intimidating history. There are images of Victorian couches, dim lighting, heavily bearded old men, and the requirement to expose anything and everything about yourself – whether it seems relevant or not – all directed toward some distant and uncertain therapeutic goal. Little wonder, then, that most people under distress take care to avoid psychotherapy. After all – who needs this sort of aggravation? But psychotherapy isn’t like that anymore. It’s not what you think. Today, if you are stressed or confused by personal relationships, job issues, monetary concerns, addictive struggles, weight management challenges, or other stressors – you may benefit by seeking help. Skilled guidance from a professional psychologist can save you a great deal of unnecessary distress, and get you moving more quickly toward the life you deserve.

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