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One way describe therapy is that it is simply a conversation centered specifically your life. It is different from talking to family or friends because the historical complications that can accompany talking with family and friends are removed. Of course the image that people carry of therapy may be different from what I just described and may be more specific as well. For some the image of therapy is lying on a couch while their analyst makes occasional comments about their free associations. For others the therapist is very active with lots of comments, advice, and direction. Which is the correct method? Is something else the right way? My belief is that it depends on what is best for each patient because everyone is different and therefore has different needs. It’s true that I have a style and don’t just become some new therapist with each given session. Rather, what I am saying is that I take what each person’s experiences have been and where they come from into major consideration when working with each person. Consider that I don’t talk to my fifteen year old patients exactly the way I speak to my fifty year old patients. Imposing some pre-existing template onto a person neglects who they are. This is ineffective at best and injurious in its insensitivity at worst. As a result, meeting a therapist and talking to see if there is compatibility is what I recommend. This simply helps to establish whether a second conversation is a good idea.
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