Engaging in your Therapeutic Journey
Have you ever wondered about therapy and mental health? Perhaps even heard about it in conversation, but not experienced it for yourself?
Engaging in therapy is the process of feeling a part of your mental health journey. A process and journey you can be personally proud of in your own development and self-care. In this blog we will list four necessary fundamentals of therapy and how to engage with each as the client.
So why would you want to go to therapy?
- Professional help
- Safe space
- Connection
- Meaning creation
Professional help – I am a licensed professional counselor and I have over 7 years of experience now in the field. I can personally attest to the levels of training, vulnerability experienced in my master’s program, the variety of clients and presenting issues I have worked on with clients, and extensive supervision and adherence to ethics to become a licensed counselor. I am trained in many different styles of therapy, certified in some, and passionate about humanistic and existential psychotherapy.
- Engage your therapist in a conversation about their professional development. Therapists are trained extensively and can share how they are skilled to help you! Therapists are trained in many different styles of therapy and each offers their own particular passion for the work they do and professional skill set.
Safe space – the phrase “unconditional positive regard” was popularized by humanistic psychotherapist Carl Rogers in 1956. It means you can let your guard down over time in the therapeutic journey; you are in a safe space where you can be vulnerable and you will not be judged for your therapeutic journey.
- Engage the therapeutic safe space. Talk to your counselor and don’t be afraid to open up about your feelings in the session. As the client your opinion and feelings are valuable to collaboratively create the setting, tone, and environment of the therapeutic session.
Connection – have you ever felt like you just want to be heard and validated in your own unique experiences? To feel connected to another person who is 100% focused and actively listening to you? Counselors are always seeking ways to journey with you and help you to continue to grow. In time the connection with the counselor can become very impactful.
- Engage the connection with your therapist. Comment and expand on the feelings in the here and now, the space between you and the therapist. As the session proceeds as the client check-in and think to yourself “do I feel connected to my therapist right now? Has something changed in what we were talking about that makes me feel more distant? or am I feeling even more understood and connected to them?!”
Meaning creation – what do you think when someone mentions “meaning in life?” I invite you to take a moment and really sit in that space.
The engaged counseling session is an active analysis of your own human experience. Doing the work now in therapy that will echo into your future.
Where are you now? Where would you like to be? What are you doing now or wish you could do now to create change in your own life and relationships?
- Engage the process of meaning creation; become excited, elated, and feel hope for your own potential. Your journey is (and always will be) unique; take hold of it.
If you have enjoyed the post and would like to discuss these topics more you can contact me through email at jason@holsiticpathcounseling.com, visit my website at Holsiticpathcounseling.com, or call (715) 201-2381. I look forward to talking to you soon. Believe in your journey.
Jason Abrahamzon, LPC
Holistic Path Counseling LLC
