Non-talk Therapy

A lot of psychotherapy is talking, feeling, and healing.

A difference with mindful psychotherapy is that there are times of intentional non-talking.

Times to pause, let other aspects of the self become prominent. It's amazing what a change there can be. A person in my office, talking, puzzling, feeling..... about the past or the future...  all of which can be valuable. But what the mindfulness adds is a way to get to a sort of deeper experience, a sense of the self awake but not talking, a sense of the self just being. Often, knowing this self is an eye-opener.  This can be important when there's a high level of anxiety, the low self-esteem that can go with depression, or a lot of chatter that clutters up the mind.

Stress may dissolve with non-talk. Surprising feelings may come the the surface. A flow of feelings and sensations may become evident.

The work of Tara Brach in this area has been important. Her book Radical Acceptance is a gift.  With clients she speaks of a 'sacred pause.'