What Is Therapy?

Therapy can mean different things to different people.

For some, it might be a place to talk about something that is happening in their life right now. For others, it might be an opportunity to understand themselves more deeply, including their patterns, relationships, emotions and experiences that have shaped them.

At its heart, I see therapy as a space where you don't have to have everything figured out.

You don't need to arrive knowing exactly what is wrong or have the right words to explain how you feel. Perhaps you simply know that something doesn't feel right. You might feel anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected or stuck, or have a sense that you are no longer quite yourself.

Therapy can offer a place to slow down and begin to make sense of what is happening, without judgement and without needing to fix or change who you are.

For me, the relationship between therapist and client is at the heart of this. Feeling safe enough to be honest, to explore difficult things and perhaps to be seen in ways you haven't felt able to be before can be an important part of the process.

Therapy isn't about me telling you what to do or having all the answers. It is about working alongside you, with curiosity, compassion and respect for your experience.

Talking can be incredibly powerful. Finding words for something we have carried alone can help us see it differently. But we are more than our thoughts. Our experiences also live in our bodies, our emotions, our relationships and the ways we respond to the world around us. Sometimes something can be difficult to put into words, but we might notice tension in our body, a change in our breathing, a feeling in our stomach, an urge to move away or a sudden sense of shutting down. These experiences can tell us something too.

I don't see people as problems to be solved. We all develop ways of coping and protecting ourselves in response to our experiences. Sometimes those ways of being continue to shape our lives, even when they no longer feel helpful.

Therapy can give us the space to become curious about these patterns and where they may have come from. Over time, we may begin to discover different possibilities and a little more choice in how we respond.

For me, therapy is a collaborative process of coming to know yourself more deeply, with greater compassion, choice and connection.

You don't have to know exactly what you're looking for before you begin. Sometimes the first step is simply having a conversation.

Vikki Harris, Psychotherapist