Psychotherapy and values

My approach to psychotherapy is shaped not only by theory and training but also by values that inform how I think about emotional experience, relationships and psychological change. The following ideas, inspired by the work of William Cornell (2024), continue to influence my understanding of psychotherapy and therapeutic work.

Psychotherapy often involves developing greater capacity for reflection and curiosity about emotional and relational experience over time. This can include becoming more aware of the ways earlier experiences, relationships and wider social environments may continue to shape familiar ways of thinking, feeling and relating.

Therapeutic work may also involve learning to remain more present with emotional states, bodily experiences and aspects of ourselves that can feel difficult, unwanted or emotionally painful. At times, psychotherapy can create space to explore experiences of grief, loss, uncertainty and emotional conflict, including feelings we may struggle to tolerate in ourselves or others.

The therapeutic relationship can support greater awareness of both your own emotional experience and the inner worlds of other people, including the complexity, separateness and individuality of others. Reflection and psychological growth often involve uncertainty, self-questioning and a willingness to reconsider familiar assumptions about yourself, relationships and the world around you.

Psychotherapy does not take place outside wider social and cultural realities. Experiences of identity, belonging, difference and social expectation can shape emotional life in significant ways, sometimes limiting how freely people feel able to think, relate or express themselves. Therapeutic work may involve creating space for greater openness, authenticity and psychological freedom within these realities.

References

Cornell, W. F. (2024). In These Dark Times: Exploring Our Values as Transactional Analysts. Transactional Analysis Journal, 54(2), 114–125.