Today I would like to explain what I do commonly to interact with clients. This has been brought about from some recent interactions where I have dived into some deep hidden past wounds with clients. Some people come in for therapy asking to stay away from traumatic memories in their distant past, and sometimes I don’t necessarily need to dig into somebody’s past to figure out why they are needing to be seen. However, more often than not, it’s my strong belief that the presenting issue is never the issue. Whatever is presenting on the surface is not what is actually bringing the client in.
With that understanding, as a counselor, I am interested in caring for what has set the scene for what you are experiencing. Sometimes I use a model of therapy called AEDP. This stands for Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy. This simply means that I am interested in and curious about the emotional ties to your memories and what you have experienced that seem either knowingly overwhelming or that you are subconsciously avoiding.
The more I see clients, the more I realize that there is always a reason for why we do what we do. Our past and our history shape who we are. It doesn’t determine or dictate who we are, but it does shape who we are and how we do things. This is why we have certain defenses in place when hard things come along. Like a weed in the ground, these defenses cannot be removed simply by picking the bloom off of the top. This weed is still going to grow because the root is still untouched. With clients, the presenting problems are going to persist unless we spend time together determining what the true roots of their issue are. Only then, can we begin to truly care for the issues in a lasting way.
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