Regardless of the age of the person with whom I am working, knowledge and appreciation of early development are essential to the way that I conceptualize and work with people in therapy. An understanding of the stages of child development is necessary in working with children in therapy, and it also helps to provide context when working with adults, regarding the ways in which earlier developmental events influence current issues. This connection between past and present often aids in the selection of therapeutic interventions. Cutting edge research in the field of mental health identifies early attachment experiences and early trauma as highly influential with regard to physical and mental functioning throughout life. The kinds of relationships that we are capable of having with ourselves and with others is dependent in part on such early experiences; however, research in the area of neuroscience and other related fields indictaes that such experiences can be modified through psychotherapy in order to improve relationships.
Something I endeavor to do in therapy is to help people to develop more satisfying relationships by identifying early relationship-based ruptures and repairing them within the context of the therapeutic relationship, a process that is informed and directed by the specific developmental experiences of the individual with whom I am working.
The psychology of Carl Jung, one of the founders of modern western psychotherapy, rests on the idea that each of us is inherently whole and that part of that wholeness is a natural tendency to heal, as long as barriers to healing are addressed. I attempt to help people discover their own capacity for self-healing. Jungian psychology also involves creating more balance in our lives, balancing inner reflection and outer action, balancing attention on conscious and unconscious processes, balancing acceptance of conflicting parts of our selves.
Many of us in this society have developed a tendency to focus almost exclusively on outer phenomena, at the expense of knowing our true inner selves. A Jungian approach lends itself particularly well to exploring and engaging with the unconscious aspects of our inner lives, through the use of a variety of creative, experiential, and symbolic activities, such as art, journaling, imagery exercises, dream exploration, and sandtray techniques.
I have completed a structured 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course, and over a period of years I have incorporated the practices into my personal and professional life. As a therapist, mindful presence is perhaps the most fundamental quality that I seek to bring into therapy sessions, as it helps me to attend to shifts in the emotional landscape of my client/patient as well as my own. Mindfulness practices can help to calm the mind, strengthen attention, and develop emotional regulation. In addition, a mindful attitude and mindfulness-based practices can help us to develop the qualities of curiosity and compassion toward ourselves, to counterbalance the usual steady stream of judgment that many of us experience in our minds. This allows us to respond more effectively to our thoughts and feelings as well as to the emotions and behaviors of others.