The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #99502 Message #1984453
Posted By: autolycus
02-Mar-07 - 07:32 PM
Thread Name: BS: psychotherapy/counselling
Subject: RE: BS: psychotherapy/counselling
The kind of therapy I do is Gestalt. Gestalt is a German word meaning,v.v.roughly 'pattern' or 'form'.
The point is that we all make gestalts all the time,that is,we shape our experience,however incomplete the data,cos we want to make sense of our experience. 'Labelling' does the same job with a name. A problem with labelling is that a word can be a replacement for actual,lived experience. Labelling can also involve jumping to (the wrong) conclusion.
And from my therapy experience,labels really are not the point. the point - no - a point,is what is the experience,how are you experiencing,what is happening? etc. etc.
And talking of realising,"Wow,I'm not a freak!",that was a revelation for me when I started going to groups. Someone would talk about a problem,quite in a spirit of 'I'm alone with this.' Then Another would say words to the effect of "Me too",to mutual amazement.
I think people usually start this kind of work thinking they are the only one with their problem(s)
Ivor