Rediscovering the Sun

There is a difference in approach between psychodynamic therapy and CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). Pyschoadynamic therapy has interests in the client's past that brings about recurring themes in their lives. It also explores the ways a client subconsciously builds defensive mechanism to avoid the difficult aspects of their past.

CBT on the other hand helps the client to recognise distorted thoughts or perceptions (misbeliefs) which may cause pyschological distress. CBT does not explore the deep subconscious imprints but uses a more direct approach of reframing misbeliefs.

James Hollis, psychotherapist and Jungian analyst, in his book "Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life" gave examples of clients who are accomplished in their career and yet encounter some form of pyschological distress. In my previous blog, I wrote about self concepts. People carve for themselves a personal story by which they live, a story shaped by social conditions created by parents, culture, society and religious institution.

Hollis quoted several examples. He examines a situation when a person grows up in an environment when the person constantly feels "overwhelmed" ( arising from say a dysfunctional family for example). There are 3 logical responses, one is "retreating, avoiding, procrastinating, hiding out, denying, dissociating". A second logical response is the recurrent need to be in control. “The world is hurtful and invasive. You must hurt or invade it first, or be hurt or invaded instead.” The third logical response is to comply. "“Give them what they want”, beginning with mom and dad".

In another circumstance when one suffers "the wound of insufficiency". The first logical response is the feeling that "I am as I am treated". For example a person who is neglected, bullied or abused may have low self esteem and feels that he/she deserves such treatment from others. This leads to a personal story of low self-worth which may lead to "diminished possibilities, a tendency to hide out from life, avoiding risk and even repeatedly making self-sabotaging choices."
The second logical response to "the wound of insufficiency" is the need to over-compensate. The personal story then may be one that spurs a life long need to be successful, to amass wealth, status, power or the illusive right partner.
The third logical respone is an anxious need to gain approval from others and the obsession to please others.

Ironically, any psychological distress is a wake up call from the soul and the inner self who have been long suppressed. This comes after the discovering that the exhaustive search for "something out there- some person, some social stature, some ideological cause, some external validation- that will make our lives work for us" failed. It is through suffering such distress that drives us to re-examine whose life we have been living for. It demands that we be accountable for our own life and how we want to live. Copernicus discovered that the Sun and not the Earth is the centre of the universe. Do we want to let the Sun in?