Good therapy – the kind of therapy that results in lasting change – requires a strong individualized conceptualization. In other words, there needs to be a mutually shared understanding of the psychology that is interfering with someone’s wellbeing and functioning, as well as a strategic plan of how therapy can help. A clear and mutually understood conceptualization results in an agreement between therapist and patient as to what the problem is and how to go about working on it.

Good therapy is not going through the motions, and it is certainly not an algorithm. It requires critical thinking in both therapist and patient, a relationship that feels alive, and a “working with” mentality instead of a “working on” mentality. Good therapy is an active process that involves both parties working together to make sense of and work through areas of difficulty.

A relationship between patient and therapist is one that promotes authenticity. It is a relationship that allows for a person’s challenges to emerge in real time, offering both patient and therapist an opportunity to identify the challenge and find a way to address it. It can be messy; though the mess is often what contains the information required for a good conceptualization and a targeted plan to create real change.

These are the types of conceptualizations that are provided at this practice: a blueprint of the problem, a roadmap to work through it, and a collaborative relational process at the heart of it all. The Remaining Human philosophy is not a philosophy that is anti-technology or against artificial intelligence; it is a treatment philosophy focused on retaining these distinctly human relational experiences in the psychotherapy space. It is a philosophy that encourages therapists to think critically, and it is a philosophy that fosters real connection between people and real change for patients.