Psychotherapy, Intimacy, and the Sacred
April 25th, 2008
A GoodTherapy.org Featured Column written by John Rhead, Ph.D.
Click here to contact John and/or see his GoodTherapy.org Profile
Intimacy refers to being seen or known. One can be seen or known by oneself, by another being (human or otherwise) or by God. Individual psychotherapy usually focuses on knowing oneself better, which is to say becoming more intimate with one’s self. The usual term for this process is “insight.” Group psychotherapy addresses being better known by others, which of course results in greater knowing of oneself in the process. This is the place where the term “intimacy” is most commonly used. Relationships with non-humans in which one comes to be known can be as mundane as a relationship with a pet dog or cat and as elaborate as encounters with spirit guides in all kinds of animal forms while engaging in shamanic journeying. Finally one may experience being known by God, or the Sacred Mystery, through spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation. Of course many would assume that one does not really reveal oneself to God through such practices, since it is assumed that God already knows everything; the experience of being known by God is really just a result of coming to know oneself better through spiritual practices.
Intimacy can be subdivided into two basic categories: biographical and evolutionary. Biographical intimacy is generated when one reveals to another things already known about one’s personal history. Evolutionary intimacy takes place when one reveals to another what one is just discovering about oneself in the present moment. Early phases of therapy usually involve biographical intimacy, which essentially involves the taking of a history in individual therapy or introducing oneself in group therapy. Later phases of therapy rely on evolutionary intimacy to stimulate the growth/healing of the client or clients.
It is the evolutionary intimacy in the later phases of therapy that is the most interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it tends to become reciprocal, so that the individual therapist comes to be more known to the client just as much as the client become known to the therapist. In group therapy, the group therapist or therapists (in the case of co-therapy) come to be known to the clients just as the clients come to be known to the therapist(s) and each other. One of the most delightful aspects of the group co-therapy situation is the intimacy that develops between the co-therapists. All of these forms of evolutionary intimacy are ultimately part-and-parcel of one’s intimate relationship with the Sacred Mystery, since each little component of intimacy with self or other takes places in this larger context.
©Copyright 2008 by John Rhead, Ph.D., therapist in Columbia, MD. All Rights Reserved.
-
Find the Right Therapist
-
6 Comments | Click here to leave a comment.
Comments
There is something about group therapy which would scare me. I am not sure that I would want all of my emotions and vulnerabilities to be revealed to toal strangers in a group setting.
But this is why this can be the perfect learning experience for you. No one is going to force you to share- this may just be the perfect opportunity to sit back and hash out your issues through the voices with others. And who knows? As you attend and become more comfortable in the group setting you may come to the realization that you are OK sharing with the group.
There are just some who are going to feel very uncomfortable in these settings. Don’t you think that for people like this that it is going to make more sense for them to participate in therapy sessions which are handled more on a one on one basis?
The thought of opening up and spilling my guts in front of strangers really would not be for me. I am sure that there are programs which would mandate and even encourage this treatment style, but group to me does not suggest the intimacy which is implied in this article.
I witnessed group therapy in action and saw the many positives and negatives of that type of situation. Ideally it is a great learning tool when handled the right way but I know that there are people out there who are so shut off to this that it would never be the right style for them.
Group therapy was something I was a aprt of a few years ago when I worked in a halfway house for federal inmates. Most of the participants there had a great time in the therapy sessions and really helped them learn more about how others thought and behaved and hopefully exposed them to some new behavioral ideals for themselves.
Leave a Reply
By commenting on this blog you acknowledge acceptance of this Blog's Terms and Conditions of Use.