Unburying the Beliefs
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate” -Carl Jung
Often we seek out therapy because something isn't working for us. It might the pattern of finding ourselves in the same unhealthy relationship just with different people. It might be an overwhelming feeling that either paralyzes us into inaction or implores us to compulsively check, ruminate or overthink. We might see the world and those around us in a way that makes it hard to be fully present or connect. We might see ourselves in ways that prevent us from really going after what we truly want or creating self fulfilling prophecies in which we are left feeling defeated.
Regardless of the reason(s) you might be seeking therapy, there is almost always a belief or beliefs underneath those patterns, behaviors and feelings. From a psychodynamic (even CBT to some degree) framework, part of therapy is about uncovering the unhelpful beliefs, understanding where they came from and hopefully loosening them up. This is not always a linear process and just challenging unhelpful beliefs from a place of logic doesn't always do it. We are creatures of habit, we tend to seek the familiar, even if it is not ultimately what feels good. The more we can raise awareness to what is driving us, the more control we can actually have over our choices.
Therapy can provide a space in which you can collaboratively get curious about what beliefs might be propelling you into patterns, behaviors and feelings that don't actually work for you. Once identified, we can get cozy with these beliefs, trying to understand how they might have come to be and whose voice they might belong to. Sometimes our beliefs are internalized messages we received from others around us when we were younger or can be the result of trying to make sense of traumatic events. Typically, these beliefs served us at some point and maybe even still do in some ways. The work in therapy around beliefs can be to see them more holistically for what they are, how they might have helped us and where they are no longer needed.
