Putting the Pieces Together: The Therapeutic Process

As I was taking my daily walk yesterday I was listening to a podcast and the speaker used a puzzle analogy. As I reflected on the analogy, it struck me how perfect it was to illustrate the therapeutic process and any process that involves change.  


She said that we may have times when all of the pieces seem to line up just perfectly to give us that nice, straight outer edge. Other times, we may have a puzzle for which we don't have the model or visual "end" and we need to fit the pieces together blindly through a process of trial and error. Still other times, we may have all of the pieces dumped out in front of us but we just can't find the first two or three that go together to keep us moving forward toward completion. 


The key is to continue to try putting pieces together, asking for help from others who may be better at fitting the pieces together at different times and realizing that we may have periods of time when we need to sit back and be pleased with the work we have completed before we move on to finish the puzzle entirely. 


I LOVE puzzles. I always have. I have very fond memories of doing puzzles with my sister, grandmother and mother. Dumping the pieces out, propping up the box so we could see the picture to help us along. When we got really good at the puzzles, we would have contests to see how fast we could each complete a different puzzle. To this day, I am really great with puzzles.


One of my best strategies was one that my grandmother taught me...once you have the pieces dumped out, find all of the straight edged pieces and make the frame. Then, it is easier to fill in the center once you have the boundary/frame to help you. This gives you a starting point so you aren't aimlessly searching for pieces that fit together here and there. 


Therapists serve as a "frame" or "boundary" for you. They help you find the straight edged pieces to get you started {a therapeutic program suited to your needs} and then they help you fill in the center to complete the picture/vision by training/helping you learn the program. 


How can I help you with your puzzle? 


Until next time, keep growing and blooming.
 


Jen