I see a Gestalt therapist once a week. Through that work it became obvious that my emotional side lags far behind my intellectual one.
What did I learn about myself in personal therapy?
Right now I see a Gestalt therapist once a week.
We talk about my childhood, my teenage years, my parents — about everything that shaped who I am and still affects me today.
Through that work it became obvious to me that my emotional side lags far behind my intellectual one.
In plain terms, my rational side is highly developed, and I process and live through everything with my head. I often suppress my emotions and don’t express them properly. So one half of me is very strong and overloaded, while the other is barely used at all.
A couple of times my therapist asked me, right in the moment, what I was feeling about a particular situation — and I realised I couldn’t properly track my emotions or put them into words.
What I love about therapy is that the moment something surfaces from the subconscious into awareness, it becomes clear how to work with it. And simply understanding what is happening in your inner world, and why, already solves half the problem.
There’s a saying: “A demon named out loud is half as strong.”
Over the past few days I’ve started expressing my emotions more actively, instead of drowning them out with rationality.
Now some situations I still process with my head, as before — and others, thanks to therapy, I live through with feelings and emotions.
It’s like being used to doing everything with your right hand, and then suddenly having a left one too, so you can take turns.
All in all, the time and resources you put into therapy always come back many times over: as a greater sense of freedom, a better quality of life, and a closer acquaintance with yourself.
Our inner world defines what we see in the world around us, and how exactly we live our lives.
Have you ever worked with a therapist? What was that experience like for you?