Dropping In

The process of psychotherapy can be compared to the experience of watching a movie that raises a particular emotional response and resonates with you on a deeper, perhaps unexpected level.

As we go through life, our experience is lived in the first person, navigating every twist and turn to the best of our abilities. In the therapeutic process, we may recount past or present experiences, listening to the narrative and seeing the memory, similar to watching a movie.

And then, just like that, we drop into a moment, a vivid picture arises, we hear the sound of a loved one, even the smells and the tactile feelings of the memory become alive in us in the moment and emotion rises up. 

An attuned and seasoned therapist pauses and deepens this emotion, allowing space and the expansion of the experience to unfold in the present. It is here that we physically and emotionally process these experiences and make sense of them. This process leads to a greater connection between our mind and our body. When our mind is aligned with our body, our brain is able to better integrate our past and present experiences, leading to psychological healing and improved mental health.

In the context of the therapeutic process, a corrective emotional experience occurs, initiating the brain to signal safety and self-trust, rather than mere survival. As humans, our species is biologically programmed to survive, one of our greatest qualities. But it is also where many of us can get stuck. This is OK. What was once scary becomes a deeper understanding of who we are and of our capacity to heal, to learn, and to transcend these uncomfortable places into greater personal freedom and self-understanding.