How Does Psychotherapy Work?

therapist sitting in a chair taking notes with a client seated on a leather couch

Psychotherapy, therapy, or counseling is the process by which an individual meets with a licensed mental health professional who can help them achieve specific goals within mental wellness. This might include improving mental health, healing from emotional pain, recovering from major life challenges, experiencing a deeper sense of meaning and life satisfaction, reducing anxiety or depression, or improving relationships. Life transition therapy in Seattle, WA can help you navigate major changes with support, clarity, and healthy coping strategies.

While there are several different types of therapeutic frameworks, or modalities, the following are some key ingredients for change:

1. Therapeutic Alliance

2. Mindfulness

3. Self-compassion

4. Psychoeducation

5. Memory Reconsolidation 

Therapeutic Alliance 

The relationship between the therapist and the client is based on trust, empathy, and collaboration. The therapeutic relationship is a reliable and safe space to learn, to be seen, make mistakes, make-up, and grow. Across modalities of seemingly significant distinction (such as CBT and Psychodynamic theory), a strong therapeutic alliance is the number one predictor of positive outcomes in therapy. The relationship between therapist and client encourages engagement and can enhance the client’s sense of self-efficacy and hope. It’s fair to say that we are, at the heart of it, relational beings and healing occurs within the relational context. 

Mindfulness

A mindfulness practice helps focus your attention on the present moment, without judging or clinging. Just being aware of what’s going on in your mind, body, and environment, mindfulness can help foster calmness, acceptance, and curiosity. 

Self-compassion

Compassion for self and others is frequently one of the fundamental goals of therapy. To learn to love yourself and others more deeply is a gift. Loving others requires openness and understanding, which can be difficult for those who have been hurt by friends or family. Loving yourself, though, is often even more difficult. If you start with tolerance, you can move to acceptance, then liking, and hopefully, one day, self-love. Self-compassion fosters well-being, enhances emotional resilience, and promotes healthier relationships. When you are self-compassionate, you have a sense, at deeply felt level, of our common humanity which ultimately functions as a more stable source of inner strength and hope than self-esteem. 

Psychoeducation

Psychoeducation includes relevant education about our psychology and how that might be showing up in your life. Therapists can offer clients information, support, and skills to not only manage mental health conditions but also develop crucial skills to more successfully process/regulate emotions and cope with the inevitable pain of life. Psychoeducation can include problem-solving and communication skills, decision-making skills, coping skills but also normalize the human experience and teach you about the quirks of your brain. 

Memory Reconsolidation

Memory reconsolidation (MR) is a naturally occurring process in the brain that allows us to extinguish old neural networks to replace them with new ones. Or, as Bruce Ecker has described it, “An innate, experience driven mechanism of the brain for unlocking and revising memory holding previously acquired knowledge of the world.” The science of memory reconsolidation outlines a series of experiences that, if the brain moves through step by step, can open its neural networks for un-learning old ways of moving through life that are no longer helpful, and update those learnings. This process resolves the gap between your logical intellectual brain and your deeper emotional sense of a situation or issue. Therapeutic techniques that facilitate MR can assist people in breaking old unhelpful patterns and a live life more in alignment with their values and desires by updating our implicit beliefs and behaviors. It involves activating a memory, disconfirming it, and then introducing new information. 

These are just some of the ways in which “therapy works”. Psychotherapy is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Different modalities, such as coherence therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, or psychodynamic therapy, each have their own goals and methods for getting there. Some therapies focus on changing your thoughts and behaviors, while others focus on accepting them or exploring them. Some therapies are done individually, while others are done in groups or with families.

At Mindful Psychological, we offer a range of psychological services, including individual therapy, group therapy, and psychological evaluations tailored to your specific needs and preferences. We specialize in treating issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma, stress, self-esteem, and more.

Thanks for reading this post. I got inspiration for this blog from Dr. Tori Olds. if you got something out of it, please leave a comment or reach out. and join my mailing list for future tips and accurate information.