What happens in therapy or coaching?
Therapy - or coaching - is a bit like gardening. Perhaps your garden has been overrun with weeds and tangled vines, and the flowers have wilted. Each plant in the garden represents a different aspect of your inner world - your thoughts, feelings, memories, and beliefs.
We can start by removing some of the most obvious and troubling weeds, those that cause immediate distress. However, to cultivate lasting change – and create a garden in full bloom – we must take our gardening a few steps further.
Cultivating Inner Growth
Together, we’ll explore the roots of the weeds, understanding the patterns and experiences that have allowed them to take hold in the fertile soil of your mind. We examine the soil itself, the underlying beliefs and assumptions that nourish the weeds and inhibit the growth of healthier plants.
As we work together, we begin to plant new seeds - seeds of self-awareness, self-compassion, and resilience. Like in any garden, these seeds require time to germinate and grow. They need nurturing, patience, and consistent care.
Just as unexpected storms can damage even the most well-tended garden, life's challenges may test your progress. But with resilience and perseverance, we’ll continue our work, adapting our strategies as needed.
Gradually, over time, the garden begins to transform. The weeds become fewer, replaced by vibrant flowers and lush foliage.
And just as a garden requires ongoing maintenance to thrive, so too you will learn to give continual attention and care to your inner life.
The methods and tools we’ll use in our sessions, come from two contemporary forms of cognitive behavioral therapy:
ACT – Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
PBBT – Process Based Behavioral Therapy
These forms of therapy offer pragmatic, efficient and at the same time gentle ways of dealing with difficult thoughts and emotions, and moving closer to a richer, happier and more meaningful life.
Depending on your situation, we can focus more on the therapeutic side, or on the coaching side. This might also evolve throughout the trajectory.
In the beginning of a trajectory, ideally, we meet once a week or every other week. The frequency of sessions is something we will discuss together, and that can always be adapted to your needs.