therapists IMO is a paid "listening as a service". but many therapists won't have the necessary life similarity overlap to truly listen.
this is esp true for individuals who end up needing therapy b/c they think in ways that are not aligned with society.
so most therapists teach coping mechanisms to fit in more w/ society so that it becomes a source of support vs judgement. it's a nice and controlled "lobotomy" of the parts that "should" be excised.
vs the "integrate the shadow/subconscious" stance which believes that these parts cannot truly be excised and instead are suppressed instead of integrated.
This is a large part of why you should shop around for your therapist. I’m currently seeing a psychiatrist that also offers talk therapy, and we have similar backgrounds and life experiences, but he’s about 15 years ‘ahead’ of me.
I’ve made more actual progress and seen more genuine peace in seeing him for 6 months than I did in years of therapy prior. And as you said, a large part of it for me was “I can’t change this about myself, but I know it now and can consciously work around it and communicate my needs better to those around me” and that alone has been immensely positive for me.
this is esp true for individuals who end up needing therapy b/c they think in ways that are not aligned with society.
so most therapists teach coping mechanisms to fit in more w/ society so that it becomes a source of support vs judgement. it's a nice and controlled "lobotomy" of the parts that "should" be excised.
vs the "integrate the shadow/subconscious" stance which believes that these parts cannot truly be excised and instead are suppressed instead of integrated.