Life is full of stresses that seem to impede the very essence of life. Different people have different means of dealing with these stresses. There are times, however, that average measures can only achieve so much. It is in times like these that the services of a professional therapist are needed. The typical average measures are mostly hinged on social interactions. The potency of social interactions in impeding the advent of mental illness has been propagated since time immemorial. When this does not realize the intended results, it becomes imperative to seek the assistance of a therapist. It is at this juncture that, the term therapy has to be elucidated. Therapy is extremely powerful in ensuring patients move towards wellness.
Therapy is a process that utilizes procedures that have been studied for a long time, to instigate the process of recovery in a patient suffering from mental afflictions. It is necessary to point out that therapy has the power to offer long-lasting help to patients. What, however, is the most vital impact of therapy is that has the capacity to put an individual on a course toward personal growth. Seeking the services of therapists should be seen as a sign of strength given that, the said individual has seen the need for therapeutic assistance in order to realize psychological health. The bond that is forged between a therapist and a patient is so strong that it has the power to rejuvenate the positive thinking and behaviors in the patients. Through all this positive transformation, the underlining goal should be to create positivity in the patient. This is with regard to training the patient to approach life with a positive perspective of all things. This can only be realized via therapeutic mechanisms and methods that have been studied and perfected over a long period.
Psychotherapy is a branch of therapy. In turn, psycho-synthesis is a branch of psychotherapy. Psycho-synthesis is a theory that will be applied in the entirety of this article although I’m trained in many different specialties. This mode of therapy has to be understood as being unique to each case in which it is applied. As such, it may entail a variety of different therapeutic approaches to ensure the psychological health of a patient. This is because this mode of therapy focuses on the whole person; suffice it to say that psycho-synthesis provides a holistic treatment of the individual. This branch of therapy focuses on the mental, spiritual and social aspects of an individual. Therapy is widely referred to as the talking cure (Cohen-Posey, 2008). This is based on the rationale that via the interaction between a therapist and a patient, the process of healing is instigated. This interaction provides an avenue for the outlet of stresses that are impeding the psychological welfare of the patient. Obstacles are unblocked thereby giving a leeway for creative expression to be realized. It should be noted that therapy provides a much more complex process than the mere exchange of words between patient and therapist.
In psycho-synthesis, the patient is taught how to become self-dependent with regard to seeking guidance and direction from deep within themselves. This is made in the endeavor of enabling the patient to conduct the exercise in the absence of the therapist. As such, this shows that this form of therapy works by giving the patient the skill to look deep within them and access inner peace and healing. With time, confidence builds up and culminates in strength, a sense of purpose, and love. This is, primarily, how psycho-synthesis works to ensure the patient is on his or her way towards wellness. Prior to realizing this desired success, it is imperative that the patient-counselor relationship; be one built on, particular, tenets. The relationship should be a positive one and most of all built on trust. This is because; it is only after trust has been forged in the relationship will there be room for real change and healing to take place. Essentially, real change and healing can only take place when the patient has been successful to create a lasting and fruitful relationship with the self. This means that internal conflict becomes non–existent. Internal conflict is perhaps the primary cause of psychological illness.
Psycho-synthesis therapy propagates a centered approach to wellness. When a patient can explore his inner self and be aware of the disintegrated parts within him or her, then therapy has started to perform its mandated task. The function of therapy is to ensure and expedite the process of bringing all these different parts together. This is in addition to reducing the extent and frequency of internal conflict that characterizes the psychological state of the patient. The different parts that are being referred to consistently are in reference to the different emotions, intuitions, imaginations, feelings and sensations. As such, when there is a collision of these parts, which make up the psychology of an individual, psychological stress is bound to occur. When these elements have been harmoniously synthesized by therapy, the patient has significantly moved to wellness. Psycho-synthesis aids a patient to realize the aspect of self-realization where they become aware of their makeup. This rejuvenates their endeavor to reach and maximize their potential. Spirituality is an essential feature of therapy. It is only after an individual has embraced their spirituality will they be well placed, to use this spirituality to enhance the quality of their everyday lives. Simply put, therapy enhances the ability of an individual to access and utilize their creative potential and ultimately achieve psychological health.
Psychological health is the state where an individual has balanced attitudes and has a sense of enjoyment towards life. In addition to this, psychological health refers to the ability to form and sustain healthy and satisfying relationships. It can also refer to a positive reaction to situations that might otherwise be considered as stressors. This is especially pertinent given that once stressors are given time to grow, they result in detrimental cognitive and emotional impacts, which impede the state of psychological health. It is critical, to assert that the absence of psychological stressors and disorders does not essentially denote psychological health. Cases should be handled, therefore, on a case-by-case criterion. Reliance on clinical criterion of psychological health is a flawed undertaking. Psychological stressors need an outlet avenue in order for psychological health to be regained. Therapy avails this outlet avenue via the relationship between a therapist and a patient. This provides the rationale as to why trust is a pertinent factor in a therapeutic relationship between a patient and a therapist. Trust creates an environment where the patient feels safe to reveal some of the most inner feelings with regards to personal feelings. Conflict generated by these unreleased feelings is the cause for psychological, affliction.
References
Cohen-Posey, K. (2008). Empowering dialogues within: A workbook for helping professionals and their clients. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons.