So you are saying you want someone to tell you exactly what to do? That’s definitely not a therapists job. Their job is to guide you into self reflection to figure out why you what you do and how to figure out for yourself how to make better choices.
While this is certainly true, it’s only one of many approaches. To some therapists it really doesn’t matter WHY you do something but how to change, correct, or fix it. It’s in a way like cancer - it’s doesn’t matter as much why or how you got cancer but how to treat and hopefully cure it.
In todays psychobabble world there are great therapists and terrible ones. MWD talks about this in her books - finding the right counselor. Some are more like divorce counselors. Others try to save the marriage and show couples how to do that. Likewise with individual therapy there are many types:
Psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapies Behavior Therapy Cognitive therapy Humanistic therapy Integrative or holistic therapy
I agree that a good therapist will not tell the patient what to do, but they will guide or direct them towards healthy, productive behaviors. Sometimes it helps to understand why one does what he or she does. But understanding alone often won’t change it. That takes action on the patients part. Simply telling your story only to have the therapist ask you, “and how does that make you feel?” Is often not enough.
DonH Midwest Me 56 WAW-EXW 55 Met 11/95 / Married 5/00 Bomb 6/20/05 / She Filed on 6/2/06 / Divorced on 10/9/06 4 who'd qualify as GF since D & dated about 25 women since D
