WoW 123: On transformation in therapy, Psychotherapy Series, Part 2
Show notes
Transformative Healing through Therapy: Unpacking Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions
In today's episode Josh explores the concept of transformative healing in psychotherapy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of thoughts, feelings, and actions in the process. He stresses that deep transformation is possible through the courageous application of truth and receiving God's love, underscoring the principle that our actions are rooted in our thoughts. He also highlights the importance of addressing and changing distorted thinking patterns, feelings, and actions to achieve holistic growth. Included are insights from Gabor Maté on healing and responsibility, as well as reflective questions designed to encourage self reflection and prayer.
00:00 Introduction to Transformation in Therapy
00:20 The Connection Between Thoughts and Actions
01:26 The Influence of Feelings on Thinking
01:57 The Healing Process in Therapy
02:25 The Power of Healing and Responsibility
03:05 Personal Experiences and Case Studies
03:41 Reflective Questions for Personal Growth
04:23 Conclusion: The Next Step of Growth
About Josh Kalsbeek, LMFT
• As a Psychoherapist I help people overcome their greatest struggles.
•Founder and CEO of Great Oaks Collective, and it's flagship program Overcome, a 10-Week virtual Intensive Outpatient Program for Christian couples experiencing sexual betrayal and addiction. www.greatoakscollective.com.
• Sign up to receive my weekly email newsletter, Words of Wisdom.
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Links
Gabor Maté, The Myth of Normal
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Transcript
Words of wisdom.
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:1 23 On transformation in therapy,
psychotherapy series part two.
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:Deep transformation is completely
possible and will be unsurprising
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:if you courageously apply truth
as you receive God's love for you.
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:How you live is based on how you think.
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:Therefore, transformation isn't
fundamentally about your actions.
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:Why?
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:Your actions are based on what
you think We do, what we believe.
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:We can say we believe one thing,
but over time our thinking will be
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:revealed by what we actually do.
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:Thinking leads to doing,
which leads to results.
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:This is part of why in therapy, we spend a
lot of time talking about what you think.
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:If you don't get enough upstream,
your distorted thinking will continue
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:to impact your actions and you'll
keep getting the same results.
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:Yet it is also true that the more you
do what is true, good and beautiful,
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:the more your thinking changes.
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:This gives you more consistent
actions, improving your results.
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:So you must change your
thinking to change your actions.
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:And you must change your
actions to change your thinking.
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:But this is still too simple.
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:Your feelings have a profound
influence on your thinking.
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:Here is a general principle about life.
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:The less you have identified and
expressed certain painful feelings, the
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:more you will be controlled by them.
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:Not only that, but you likely
won't even be aware of it, let
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:alone that another way is possible.
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:Your thinking will strengthen and defend
your wounded way of being, and you
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:will dig yourself deeper into the pit.
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:While this simple description
doesn't do justice to the healing
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:process, it is a way of touching
upon what happens in therapy.
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:You'll talk about and change what
you think you will talk about and
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:change how you feel, and you will
talk about and change how you act.
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:As you make changes in your thinking,
your feelings and your actions, you
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:will see progress more holistically.
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:Quote.
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:And here is where healing comes in.
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:We can do nothing about the world
that created our mind, that may have
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:instilled in us limiting harmful, untrue
beliefs about ourselves and others.
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:However, we can learn to be
responsible for the mind with which
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:we create our world moving forward.
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:The capacity to heal is born of
the willingness to do just that.
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:To take on that responsibility.
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:It is about the willingness
to reconsider our entire view.
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:If the wounded mind can be
tyrannical, it is a tyrant,
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:secretly longing to be deposed.
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:I have seen this in my
own life numerous times.
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:Experiencing the freedom that
comes with relinquishing some
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:unhappy belief or perception.
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:My mind has clung to just seconds prior.
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:I have also been most fortunate
through my work to encounter case
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:after case of astounding turnarounds.
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:In every instance, the essential
shift transpired not in people's
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:circumstances or histories, but in
how they related to them by Gabor
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:Maté in his book, the Myth of Normal
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:Questions.
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:When is the last time you learned
something new about yourself?
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:What is one thing you've changed your mind
about that has turned out to help you?
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:What feelings do you need to feel today?
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:What small new action can you
practice consistently this week?
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:Use these questions as journal prompts and
prayers for this week, and note, commit
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:to being a person who continues to grow in
their thinking, their ability to identify,
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:feel, and deal with their feelings.
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:And a person who takes courageous
action, all you need to do is to decide
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:to take the next step of growth today.
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:Live wisely.
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:Josh.
