Gary Trosclair

LCSW

Many people entering therapy imagine that the therapist will give insights or directives to the client that will change them. While the therapist's experience and even wisdom may be helpful at times, the more effective agents in achieving change have to do with the process of therapy itself: the exploration and expression of emotions previously unacknowledged, the experience of being open with the therapist, the identification of different parts of the personality, and the process of sorting out when to take responsibility and when not to. Each time you meet with your therapist you will change your brain a little. This is why consistency is so important. Think of it as a gym rather than an operating room. What you do in therapy is what will make it most effective in the long run.

I believe that transparency, explaining how the therapeutic process works, is very important. As therapists we don't always help our clients to understand what their role in the process is, and what our role is. Being clear about our goals and how we will reach them helps us to work together well.

I believe that we all have a deep inclination toward psychological growth. When this instinct is blocked, we become depressed or anxious. I have found it most helpful to think of therapy as a process of tapping into that instinct in order to promote healing.