A visit to any well stocked book store will reveal a plethora of self-help books covering a range of issues: depression, anxiety, self esteem, relationships, parenting and so on. Yet most people find, even though they may be very smart and capable, that reading a book on a subject of concern is usually not enough to solve the problem. Identifying something about oneself and ones patterns is typically not the same as CHANGING oneself. The reason for this is best explained by knowledge of the human brain. Neuroscience teaches us that real change is best achieved by NEW EXPERIENCE, not merely by intellectually understanding something.
Highly intellectual people often learn in psychotherapy that their intellectual defenses are in fact preventing them from making the changes they wish to make. Effective psychotherapy must include creating the opportunity for new emotional experience and that can only occur within a trusting and mutually respectful relationship.
Since much of the damage done to people occurs within a relationship context it follows that healing needs to take place in a relationship. A positive psychotherapy relationship allows for just that.