What a great debate there is on this topic! I’ve read numerous articles and opinion pieces and, quite frankly, no one agrees. My own psychotherapy was tremendously helpful, so of course I say that it does work because it worked for me. It is why I became a therapist. I welcome the debate about psychotherapy effectiveness but I don’t take sides because I really think this question has to be answered by each person for himself or herself.
What I think might be helpful is to write about how one might know that psychotherapy is working:
- Things settle down in your life. You have some space and calm around the events and interactions in your life.
- You can see and feel the process of change. You begin to identify old patterns and beliefs, you practice seeing them in action, practice new ways of living, make mistakes, and try again.
- You feel like you are more of yourself, not less so. If there are old, false parts of your self, they begin to fall away.
- You are more comfortable with your feelings and the feelings of others.
Good psychotherapy helps clients grow roots and wings; you need both to meet life with strength and inspiration.
