How and/or why did you become a therapist?
A very abbreviated version is that someone told me that I would never make something of myself and I wanted to prove them wrong.
What are the most rewarding aspects of being a therapist?
Seeing a client go from struggling with life to thriving. Its also a profession where there is a continual learning of how people function and how to best help them.
What’s unique or special in your background or approach to interpersonal relationships?
I tend to focus more on unconscious factors which may be affecting interpersonal relationships, particularly ingrained patterns. I am not overly focused on insight though it has its place, I tend to focus more on leveraging the unconscious towards helping a person reach their aims in life.
What are your favorite or most interesting interpersonal relationship tips/advice?
Find a way to relax, most things go better when people are relaxed.
Another thing I find is that often people are using protective mechanisms that once served a good purpose, but which no longer serves them well. When people are hurt they tend to strike out with an old protective mechanism. Their tasks in relationships is to learn to let go of those ways of dealing with conflict and learn new more adaptive and beneficial ones.
What are some things about therapy that you want to increase public awareness about?
There are lots, but I think one of the biggest is the idea that there is something seriously wrong with them. The research demonstrates that as many as seven out of ten people are afflicted by some form of mental health issue in their lives. Therapy isn’t for everyone, but for many people it can be an excellent way to learn to thrive in life.
What are some of the biggest mistakes a therapist or patient can make?
One of the misconceptions people often have is that the therapy session itself is the work. But, it is more like coming into a session and then implementing what came out of the session into daily life. The client is ultimately responsible for change.
From a therapist’s perspective, one of the more common mistakes is to overly rely on techniques and procedures. Techniques and such can help, but as research consistently shows it is often the relationship between the therapist and the client which often is healing.
Bio
You can learn more about Edward Traversa at https://edwardtraversa.com/.