Introduction to the Series on Psychological Tools

Hello, I will be starting some series of posts related to the list of psychological tools included on my About page. The goal of this series is to explain to you what they entail and how they are used in psychotherapy.

Apart from various types of therapy that consist of common ground of philosophy and research, every therapist brings something personal to the table. Some are more active, some more passive, some use the philosophy of only nurturing and allowing things to flow, and some use more solution-focused approaches. The way they are delivered relates to the personality characteristics of a therapist too, for example, a solution-focused approach can be delivered in a more technical way or a more empathetic and flexible way.

The personality of a therapist plays an important role in therapeutic work. We are humans, not machines. The congruence with an inner self helps to connect with people and gain their trust. Nobody likes games and manipulations or just blank stares. In this post, I will explain my approach taking into consideration the CBT type of therapy and my personality. So let’s get to know each other a bit 🙂

Understanding the Active Empathetic Approach

The first point from the list on my About page mentions an active but empathetic approach. What does it mean to ACTIVE? It means that a therapist guides, asks questions and helps you to find answers based on the story you are sharing.

In other words, helps you to connect the dots. The therapist will give you feedback on patterns in this story and probable influences, a professional opinion, and probable interpretation based on scientific knowledge of human nature and his/her own training. Please note that not all psychotherapists are psychologists and vice versa, training varies from scientific to philosophical approach. Therefore not all feedback will be based on research yet some subjects are difficult to measure, philosophical “rule of thumb” can also do the work.

Comparing Active and Passive Therapy Approaches

Additionally, an active approach involves suggestions, direct guidance and structure, questions and probing, challenging perception and thinking (CBT) and homework (CBT).

To give you a contrast, a passive approach relates to the understanding of emotional support from the point of empathy, active listening and non-judgement, leading to a person opening up to self-reflection. That in turn relates to a belief that a person needs just that to find his own answers to his problems. The passive approach was the first approach that was used in psychotherapy by psychoanalysis and then the humanistic model followed.

CBT and related Schema, REBT, and DBT introduced active ways to track feelings, and emotions, apply questionnaires and form case hypotheses in order to help a patient. Yet, the misconception is that the active approach does not include humanistic components of empathy and listening which is wrong. Those components are included in the process yet, they are not the main tools but more a “butter on the slice”. Nothing will drop inside us if we do not feel comfortable and respected. That is why an active/directive but empathetic approach has been highlighted on my list.

The Role of Empathy in Therapy

Empathy means that a person is able to grasp your inner world and have a compassionate understanding of it. It takes care of you in the process of exploration. Even if there is a challenge involved it is not attacking but curious juggling of the ideas.

Sometimes people are not ready to hear a different perspective and are triggered to the point of engaging in defence mechanisms, they can get angry, feel hurt or become argumentative. They may expect perfection from a therapist to match their needs. The active approach can be challenging and not suitable for you. The therapist’s role is to try to navigate those moments towards constructive outcomes yet nothing will be done if the client is not open to overcoming it either.

We are A TEAM! One of the best tools, in my opinion, is a sense of humour (which will be explored in later posts). And believe me, I have one :-). The importance of constant feedback is also crucial therefore being open to share even the most difficult doubts, thoughts or hurt feelings will help the therapist to adjust better to your process.

Combining Active Guidance with Empathetic Support

Putting all together, an active/directive but empathetic approach involves both soft and solid components. It involves direct feedback on issues, patterns of behaviour and thinking, it gives suggestions and guidance.

But also includes care and respect, kindness and consideration. The skilful juggling of those components increases the smoothness of the process and therefore benefits. Nothing is better for your improvement like taking action with a positive attitude.

Conclusion

Hope that helps and to the next time.

Renata