Although it may be easy to feel elated after a cathartic therapy session, individuals young and old would do well to remember that therapy is a process.
This statement is not to discourage any client but to contextualise the feeling of elation and to remain open to its opposite.
Sometimes we feel or wish that the good feelings will last forever and that we are finally healed.
But instead of thinking, “healed,” I encourage us to also consider ourselves, “healing.”
Relapse and the recurrence of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings are part of the process.
The goal of therapy is not to eliminate all negative thoughts and emotions but to learn to live and respond to them in healthy, constructive ways.
Niccolo Tiangco, RPsy, MSc 