Why talking is important and how person-centred therapy could help

Talking is a two-way process:
You have the transmitter and the recipient.

In everyday life, talking is essential to getting things done and shaping the world, as actions often follow.

Talking communicates everything from happiness and love to warnings and dangers for safety. Talking is part of the human experience, and receiving the appropriate responses is essential to our growth, sense of self, self-worth and validation. 

Humans are naturally sociable beings with a love and a need for communication. Language and the use of words are central to communication.

Still, the emotion and expression conveyed along with those words release stresses and satisfy the feeling of released information that was once held.

Most of the time, the client is the transmitter, and the therapist is the recipient, whether in person, or virtually.

Healing takes place as your therapist positively validates you in the setting. You are received warmly, with positive regard, and with congruence as your therapist reflects your words back to you and validates you through empathic understanding.

Therapy is a unique space for talking and has proven highly beneficial for people who need to be heard and understood. It has helped thousands of people shift from where they are emotionally and mentally to move forward safely and satisfactorily; leaving troubles behind or learning to see things differently.

Why it’s important to have a release

Sadly, many cases of negative talking experiences prevent people from talking in adult life, or indeed, younger people may struggle to talk.

Such people are likely to have suffered adverse experiences when talking to their parents or caregivers that may have resulted in catastrophic consequences and detrimental to their safety. Some people may have felt dismissed or invalidated, even ridiculed, for saying something out loud, negatively impacting a person’s experience of speaking out.

These situations can lower self-esteem and confidence as the imposter syndrome develops from this stage. The good news is this can be overcome through talking.

Pent-up information can have a negative impact on mental health and can even extend to physical health issues, such as developing diseases and conditions. The importance of talking extends to physical benefits as well as psychological ones.

If you’re looking to try therapy, perhaps person-centred therapy is for you…

In therapy, talking is the first step towards healing and can:

• Provide a safe setting that will help you feel heard instead of invisible or neglected. You will feel validated with positive and genuine affirmation highlighting that you matter.
• Improve your health and life overall. The safer you feel when talking, the more you have to say as trust in yourself and others develops.
• Help unravel confusion, unleash secrets, and assist in developing the self.

Person-centred therapy, in particular, adheres to these core conditions where you are praised, validated and not judged in any way, shape or form. 

This can be useful when you are:

• Seeking a neutral space to talk things through, which may be uncomfortable with friends or family.
• Need a good listener who can offer insights as they convey their understanding of your challenges and help you find ways to overcome them.
• Looking for new perspectives and for someone to shine a light on angles you may have never seen or thought or before.

It is essential to understand that in a talking therapy session, you are always safe and validated in a counselling and therapeutic setting.

When you step into talking therapy, you are taking a brave step that can help change the lens through which you see the world, anything from old patterns to leaving past traumas behind.

Talking saves lives. Talking is healing.