 Therapy works successfully when patient and analyst develop a strong working tie and when the therapy environment respects and dignifies the human struggle toward health. Therapy works, in part, by building those areas of the self that were thwarted, derailed, wounded, or injured.
Therapy can be short-term or long-term, but it is not endless.
Therapy is not one-sided, with the patient shouldering the responsibility for “doing all the work.” Neither is it one-sided with the therapist “digging through the patient’s unconscious.” Both participants work together to bring about the goals and hopes of the patient in a measured and respectful manner.
Therapy is often deeply satisfying because it offers the chance to be profoundly understood. In a unique environment where human dignity, neutrality, and confidentiality are absolutely central, two things are occurring. The patient is offered, often for the first time, the powerful and empowering experience of being understood by another. And, the patient is enabled to begin to rebuild and repair aspects of the self that were broken or derailed. |