Beyond the Tip of the Iceberg

Through the therapeutic lens…

You may have heard that the conscious mind is only the tip of the iceberg. Below the surface of the water is the subconscious, the submarine, where all of our programmed activity is going on.  Without being at all scientific, we have the autonomic nervous system taking care of basic body functions such as breathing, and we have all the lessons we have learned so well that we can perform them without much thought, such as brushing our teeth, or driving a car.

Relative to the subconscious, the conscious mind holds little information at any given moment in time.  If you are a professional basketball player, for example, you can consciously tell yourself to simply focus on the basket and a myriad of complex, subconscious  signals are sent to all parts of your mind/body to actually get the ball to the net.  You’ve consciously practiced for thousands of hours so that, by the time you’re in the “real” game, those actions and reactions have become subconscious.

Have you ever been getting ready to go out to a party, or work, or an event, when thoughts are running through your mind and suddenly you have an “ah ha” revelation about yourself that seems enlightening?  What has happened is your mind has slowed way down, and is focusing on how you are putting on your eye make up, or shaving.  You are in a meditative state, a lower number of cycles per second of brain wave activity, allowing a new point of view to float up into the conscious mind.

Conversely, anxiety, fear, anger and other amplified, negative emotional states can short circuit an otherwise open, flowing process.  Therapy can help move you in to a place of choice, so that you can avoid short circuiting. You replace self-limiting beliefs and gain access to positive, helpful thoughts, words and actions.  You make more good choices more often so that, to some extent like brushing your teeth, the positive thinking becomes automatic.  The short circuits dissolve and clear the way for meditative, subconscious clarity to surface.

It seems to me, from everything I have learned at this point in time, including the past 27 years of intensive study, research and practice of psychotherapy, that all methods of therapy are ways of clearing up your circuitry and shining light into the darkness, thus helping you lighten up. Processes such as meditation and hypnosis help you function at a more relaxed, calm level.  You brain waves slow down allowing more clarity and ability to choose wisely.

Good rapport with your therapist builds trust, which allows you to feel relaxed, calm and comfortable so that you feel safe giving and receiving information.  In my work I help bring forth your strengths to use as building blocks in our re-creation.

The therapeutic process is one of discovery. Therapy helps you gain access to what you know, but don’t know you know. The most delightful learning is when you say to yourself, “I knew that. That’s what I am doing.”  You notice that often your intuition has been telling you the truth.  “Isn’t that wonderful.  I’m right on!”

Therapy helps free you so that you can create, love, work, and inter-relate in ways that make you and those around you feel good.   You will still make mistakes, and have ups and downs, but you will be able to let go faster, learn the lessons, be good to yourself, and experience more joy!