Therapy is about creating a safe space, discovering oneself: Experts

BENGALURU: Do you picture therapy as sessions where your counsellor addresses your mental health issues and solves them for you? Or do you think counselling is a way to convince someone to shift their thought process?


If you have answered yes to the questions above, you are not alone. Even as mental health, counselling and therapy have taken centre stage following the pandemic, many people seeking help are curious and confused about what therapy is all about.

A panel of experts came together recently at Bangalore International Centre to speak on 'Demystifying therapy, psychotherapy and its practice' and dispel common misconceptions around counselling and therapy. They said therapy is about the creation of a safe space where people discover themselves hand in hand with their counsellors.

Rathna Isaac, therapist and clinical psychologist, shared an example to show the relationship between an individual and a therapist. "The common picture is that an individual hands a mixed bag of wool to the therapist, who sorts it out and hands it back. In reality, it is a space where a therapist helps you to sort it out. It is a space where you gather your thoughts, feelings and yourself. Therapy helps you to make sense of what is happening inside of you," said Isaac, who is on the board of studies, department of psychology, St Joseph's College of Arts and Science.

Poornima Bhola, a psychotherapist, teacher, supervisor and researcher, said therapy is a safe meeting space between an individual and a therapist. "The space is a territory where the two travel together, set the stage for conversation, and help you in what you are looking for. Being a co-traveller in this journey, the individual has the same responsibility as the therapist to navigate this space together," said Bhola, a professor in the department of clinical psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans).

Natarajan said counselling may not always yield immediate results and at times, a session may only make sense years later. "It is successful when a client's understanding of what he/she is going through deepens. It may not always leave people happy, but it means more awareness of what they are feeling and who they are," he said.

Prabha Chandra, senior professor of psychiatry and associate dean, Nimhans, agreed. "Therapy is a cascading thing; the change and well-being may not be evident immediately. But there will be an 'aha' moment..."