The Need for a New Word for Therapy
Unfortunately, along the way the terms therapist, psychotherapy, counseling, and so forth became associated in the popular mind with pathology. Not everyone of course who comes to therapy needs help; some choose it. But popularly the picture of the somewhat removed, analytical, bespectacled therapist with a notebook has taken a hold... and it is, I fear, almost impossible to budge.
My mother-in-law who is now in her nineties and incredibly vibrant refers to, in her own words, "those poor people" who talk to me every week. Her concern is genuine; her assumption merely the conventional one that anyone who comes to a therapist cannot cope with their life.
Listening to the soul of another, preparing a person for their life challenges, and sharing reflections on the profundities of life are not expressions of pathology, they are supremely sane. If inner work, therapy, seeing a therapist, are to become more commonplace -- and I sincerely believe this is the hope for humanity today -- we are in urgent need of a new term that is not associated with disease and which people may embrace without stigma or tarnishing their reputation.
Let us seek that word, that new term in Sacred Attention Therapy and make these liberating practices accessible to more and more people.
Excerpt from SAT Online Training, Level 1 lecture manuscript
https://www.sacredattentiontherapy.com/SAT-Online-Training-Is-It-For-You.html
Certified Instructor of Taekwondo & Ananda yoga.
8 年Let us use word Richard Harvey
Transpersonal Psychotherapist & Executive Coach
8 年tend to agree...largely therapy still has the connotation of pathology and its actually promoted even so by those who confuse a psychiatrist with a psychotherapist .. n therein their approaches to seeing/viewing the client. While most psychiatrists openly say things like "mental illness" and it being disease 'caused' by chemical imbalance in the brain, among other theories and prescribe meds. at the drop of a hat, its no surprise the reasons for going for psychotherapy still are seen as only when the person has a problem - n that too most will go to psychiatrist first as the Dr. title puts them on a hierarchy that therapists dont have :) (at least thats the case largely in India ) However, as Richard mentions, "listening to the soul of a person" - is by far one of the most sacred experiences, n deserves a new term perhaps. Personally, Richard i feel there are largely two main paths even in psychotherapy - one the mainstream traditional approaches to working with clients and the other "spiritual" (is the only word that i can come up with). The former, as Gene said, will probably lead to the client continuing for 32 yrs in therapy with little or not much results ! n the later might honestly tell him he doesnt need therapy. I would add though that to me, therapy can be seen as a call to growth/ self actualization and transformation to a higher level of consciousness. & though that is not necessarily the reason most come into therapy for, it can be the backdrop for me to hold when i see a client.. much light always.. K
President/Senior Creative Director/TV Writer-Producer at The Star Bright Company
8 年Call it happy hour? What's wrong with "therapy?" And a rose is still a rose even though you call it a goose. Whew!
Counsellor & Psychotherapist in Private Practice
8 年I believe 'Psychotherapist/Counsellor' can be stereotyped by those prone to degrading others similar to 'Banker', 'Politician' 'Lawyer' or Estate Agent'. Yet, when the time comes, we all seek out the unique expertise of someone from all these professions when we need their help.
author/writer
8 年Thank you Richard and Robert, for your thoughts. I think for most people the word therapy is a good word indicating something that will make us be or feel better, to cope better, with whatever is happening in our experience. As Robert describes, for many people therapy is something fun, a luxury or extravagance that they choose, or an exercise regime that re-invigorates, or a relaxing self-indulgence. So therapy itself is not a bad word. When a person goes for psychotherapy though, usually that is different. It's a bit like going to the doctor; we go when we don't know how to do it ourselves, when we want help to see what is wrong and we want advice as to how to cope better, how to live our lives better. We don't necessarily think we are full of disease, insane or hopeless cases, but we usually choose to go because we are struggling and need help. We have to make a commitment of time and money, often long-term, and this adds weight to the prospect. Sometimes it is the doctor or a professional who recommends therapy... The time and money commitment make it a weighty, serious decision and we know it is going to require us to work very very hard to make it worthwhile; we won't be just sitting there dozing whilst our feet are being pampered. It won't be a breeze in the Bahamas. And if all was well with us, we would not be thinking of going for therapy. We go because we need to talk, we need to understand, grapple it out from under the carpet, pull out the shrapnel, make sense of our truth without shame or punishment. We go to therapy feeling like a "poor thing" often. We go when we don't know how else to do it! We go because we are serious about improving our lives. This is good. It is courageous, proactive, praiseworthy stuff that we commit to. People going for therapy are brave. They choose to do what it takes to live better, more effective lives. They are survivors, soldiers and conquerors. To the countless therapists out there, who grapple with their clients to help them to do this, who commit themselves to doing the work with them, I thank you and honour you.