7 Ways To Understand Therapy From Narrative Practices
It is normal that going to the psychologist can generate fear and anxiety in us, since they are emotions that appear to protect us from an unknown situation and because, in addition, culturally we have learned that psychotherapy is a space that can generate discomfort by opening up and exposing our emotions. , thoughts and ways of acting more private and profound.
Likewise, there may be fear that the psychologist will judge or criticize the way we are and do things because socially there is a belief that he is the expert and is “the one who will tell me what is happening,” if it is “normal or no” and how to best deal with it. Therefore, There is an implicit power relationship from the beginning and a norm that pathologizes.
However, from Narrative Practices, which is a form of doing psychotherapy from a critical and social stance, the psychologist is sought to have a horizontal relationship with the consultant, being aware of power relations and pretensions of normality so as not to reproduce them. From this approach we seek to provide support from a decentred, fair and non-pathologizing place.
That said, below, I will tell you in greater depth 7 ways to understand the psychotherapy space from Narrative Practices:
Going to psychotherapy is giving yourself time, a space that makes it possible to raise awareness to have more and better tools to face various situations. From Narrative Practices We help people embrace the complexity that makes us human beings, nurturing the life stories that we like about ourselves and redefining the way we tell ourselves. Therefore, it is a space to embrace everything that happens within you. A space free of judgments and without pretensions of “normal people” and a space to be who you are being.
2. Psychotherapy is recognizing yourself
Recognizing pain, the emotions that make you uncomfortable, and the difficult situations in life and in others is important for growth and well-being. From Narrative Practices, psychotherapy is a space that allows you to feel and listen to them, since they usually come to tell you about something that is important to you. There is no intention of reaching only socially recognized and applauded places such as joy, euphoria, etc. While these are important, It is also important that the richness of what lives in you has a space to be recognized. Moving away from a dichotomous view of good or bad.
3. Psychotherapy, a space for reflection
Psychotherapy is a space that invites us to question and reflect on the way we relate to ourselves and others. This is the basis for achieving practical actions that contribute to moving to places of greater well-being proposed by ourselves. From this perspective, it is important to be aware of the discourses that speak to us, since many of the desires, frustrations, etc. They are derived by social discourses that tell us about how we should be and what we should do. Therefore, it is important to deconstruct those macro narratives that hold us down and look at the narratives that make sense to us and that are in line with what is important to us.
It is essential to understand that psychotherapy is not a linear path. Re-thinking, Re-feeling and Re-doing takes time. You may sometimes return to old ways, but perseverance and compassion are essential to pass through your heart again. Usually, the ideas we have about an immediate cure are due to imposed demands that we end up internalizing and that are not empathetic with our own times. Therefore, Psychotherapy, like life, is a space where the notion of process will accompany us.
5. Psychotherapy, a space of care
Psychotherapy should be a safe and respectful place that allows you to feel comfortable opening up and expressing yourself. Always from an empathetic accompaniment on the part of the psychologist. Many times we overexert ourselves and think that we must solve everything alone and that this way the victories will be greater, this is due to an individualistic and competitive system that reinforces these beliefs. However, we don’t have to achieve everything alone; Our ties, support networks and therapeutic support are vital to feeling protected, listened to and cared for.
We must remember that we are relational beings and we are always building ourselves around others this is fundamental from Narrative Practices.
6. Psychotherapy, a space of dignity
Narrative Practices consider that all people are experts in our lives and that we have tools, knowledge, resources, dreams, goals, values and hopes to build a dignified life. Therefore, psychotherapy from this perspective is a space that contributes to moving us to all these aspects that go through us to from there take actions and generate movements towards identities that are preferred by us.
Last, but not least, from this perspective, it is considered that many of the problems and discomforts that we consider to be within us are actually the result of living in a society with structural inequalities, power relations and demands of an economic system. Simply put, our context affects the way we relate to ourselves and others. Therefore, psychotherapy from Narrative Practices moves away from purely individualistic explanations to focus on the dynamics that exist in our relationships, the way we build ourselves with others, the impacts this has and the skills we have.
Are you looking for therapeutic support?
Are you interested in a fair, non-pathologizing, social, critical psychotherapy space that contributes to dignified lifestyles?
I accompany you from a place of care, empathy and respect. I’m Nathaly Prieto, psychologist with emphasis on narrative practices and ancestral knowledge. She works with problems of low self-esteem, lack of meaning in life, anxiety, feelings of failure, migratory grief, emotional management, family, personal and couple conflict situations, attachment and depression, among others. She did online therapy.
