People voluntarily come to therapy for one reason and one reason only: they are miserable with feeling a certain way and have tried to solve it in every way they can think of with no positive outcome.
So they come to meet me hoping that if I like them enough, I will sprinkle magic fairy dust on their heads and make everything better. If only I or *any* therapist for that matter, were that powerful!
One of the things that a good therapist can offer is a way of changing the way you see a problem. Sometimes, doing that will allow you to find other solutions to a problem you previously thought was insurmountable.
For instance, let’s say a person comes in and says they see their problem as having to do with depression. This person tells you that they became chronically ill a few years ago and now feel sad and hopeless most of the time. After asking many questions, we learn that the patient isn’t nearly as social as they used to be because of their illness and it’s limitations. There is a sense of shame and feeling like no one really wants to be around them because they are chronically ill.
Some of that might be true. Especially if the only thing the patient wants to talk about is their health problems. But what if the patient can spend their time in therapy talking about their health issues and use the time with friends and family to catch up on the lives of others? What if the patient made an effort to get out of their own head, their own sense of the world, for a short time? Might this lead to more social interactions? A changed perception of others and self as a result?
Personally, I think it’s worth a shot.