By Reshma Freeman, LCPC, CCTP
What is psychotherapy yet alone purposeful psychotherapy? This is a question I get asked a lot by clients who have been to therapy before or who are new to therapy. Psychotherapy should be a safe place that is provided to clients to assist the client with working through a variety of different challenges. Individuals may be experiencing challenging or disturbing events in the world that can negatively impact the individual’s mental and behavioral health preventing him, her, or they from living the joyous lifestyle they are wanting to live. Purposeful Psychotherapy can provide specific therapeutic approaches to assist the individual with working through the mental and behavioral challenges to obtain the treatment goal established by the client. The following information is the main support purposeful psychotherapy should provide.
- Authenticity (therapist and client) to build healthy rapport.
- Reflective listening
- Validation
- None bias/none judgmental
- An understanding and insight about thoughts, emotions, and brain functionality.
- An understanding and insight about the brain and body connection.
- An understanding and insight about symptoms that can be problematic to an individual’s lifestyle.
- Learning and developing healthy coping skills that are effective and individualized for the client.
- An understanding about different therapeutic approaches.
- Client’s autonomy to choose specific therapeutic approaches.
- Therapeutic approaches practiced with the client to achieve client’s treatment goal(s).
- Complete confidentiality (more details included in therapy).
Therefore, it is the therapist role to practice ethical duties working for the client. In addition, purposeful psychotherapy is not a practice where the client can reach their goals within a week or within 4 sessions of therapy. Trust me when I say, I wish I can wave a magic wand and help the client reach the treatment goals within 4 sessions of therapy. However, healing takes patience and time that should be recognized in increments throughout the therapy process by the client and therapist. When therapy is pursued and practiced purposefully, the results can be overall rewarding in multiple aspects of the client’s lifestyle.