– Learning that All of Our Choices have Reasons Through Individual Psychotherapy in Nashville TN

Last Updated on May 4, 2023 by Chris Roberts

DISCOVERING WE ARE NOT CRAZY THROUGH INDIVIDUAL PYSCHOTHERAPY IN NASHVILLE TN

It may be hard to wrap our minds around this concept, but it is nevertheless true: Every choice we make is based upon some guiding principle in our lives. One of the things I hear most often in my office is: I must be crazy. Or, just as bad: So-and-so tells me I am crazy. This way of thinking comes from a belief that we might actually make choices that have no purpose or goal, or worse, we make choices that cause us to suffer or harm.

INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY MAKES US WORK

Individual psychotherapy in Nashville, TN is not for the faint of heart. If a person comes in wanting immediate relief and freedom from pain and suffering, that is likely not going to happen. Granted, if someone is in extreme crisis, the goal would be for them to calm down and experience some relief from an overwhelming situation. But as a whole, if someone is entering individual psychotherapy to work on underlying issues and find a greater peace and harmony in their lives, they will be forced to do the difficult task of coming to terms with the subconscious motivations that are driving their decisions. This means that each and every decision we make is based on some underlying belief about how we should navigate situations. This may sound harsh in the beginning, but it is actually the most freeing possibility imaginable.

WHEN WE ARE SUFFERING, WE FIND THE QUICKEST WAY OUT

Individual therapy in Nashville asks us to begin the process of getting to the core of what our suffering looks like and where it is exhibited most often. We all know we suffer to some degree, but most of us don’t take the time to unearth the more complicated issues driving our suffering. Typically, when we are suffering, we find the quickest method to relieve our suffering. This means that we will often resort to all sorts of “unhealthy” behaviors in order to relieve the suffering we might be experiencing. For instance, if you are having trouble sleeping, you might drink more than you normally would. If your loneliness is more than you think you can bear, you will engage in relationships that might not be the healthiest for you. If your marriage feels hopeless, you may have an affair. If you believe you are a failure, you may turn to drugs to alleviate the eviscerating pain that you don’t deserve anything in life.

WE CAN’T CHANGE WITHOUT AWARENESS

We might be able to make some outward changes to our life, if we aren’t moving in the direction we truly want to be moving in. But, without some healthy understanding of what was/is motivating us to make “poor” decisions, fundamental changes to our core self will be very slim. Part of the reason for this is that our underlying motivations come from real life experiences. We have experienced certain things in the past that cause us to act the way we do in the present. The truth is: We aren’t crazy. We actually don’t make “irrational” choices. Some choices we make may seem “irrational” to others, but if we deem them “irrational” to ourselves, we are undermining and dismissing a real experience we had in the past.

WE CAN CHANGE AND GROW THROUGH INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY IN NASHVILLE

Change and growth is always possible, but it takes courage and often it takes time. We are resistant to engaging our past, because there is hurt and pain that we wish we could forget. Most often, the “irrational” choices we are making in the present come from unresolved pain in the past. When we are willing to courageously address the pain from our past, we can transform our behavior in the present through individual therapy in Nashville. If you are looking to understand more of why you are making certain choices, Chris Roberts at Two Trees Counseling would love be of help. Chris Roberts is a licensed, professional counselor in Nashville with years of helping individuals through these difficult times.