3 Determinates for Life Changing Therapy

I have been a therapist going on 8 years. I have seen a lot of things in that time period. From this experience I have also been able to learn the top determinates that have to take place for a client/s to be successful in therapy. To be precise there are 3 and they include: acceptance, desire towards change, and determination towards healing.

1.      Acceptance

This is the very first determinate that has to take place for therapy to be successful for a client. The reason acceptance has to take place first is because if you don’t want to accept that there is a problem, how is change going to happen? I see this take place a lot when working with couples.

A husband and wife come in and they are struggling. The wife is at her breaking point and looks at therapy as the last effort in trying to keep the marriage. While the husband chooses to stay blind to the issues. Or, he thinks they can fix it themselves. I mean no disrespect towards any men reading this blog. The example I give above is unfortunately after MANY sessions with couples and this occurring over and over again.

I understand that it can be really difficult to accept that you are flawed, someone did you wrong and that has affected you, or that trauma has occurred in your life. I hear you. With that, I want you to think about where you would be if instead of running and pretending nothing is wrong, you accepted that there is a problem.

Healing is one of the most beautiful experiences. I know I have done it over and over again. Plus, I have seen countless clients heal many times. Something else I want you to know is that you accepting that there is a problem is not you being weak. There is an abundance of strength in being honest about our flaws.

Finally, I want you to understand that by not accepting what is or has happened, you are allowing Spiritual warfare into your life. Every second of the day, whether you are sleeping, or awake Satan is in a battle to win you. He wants your soul for his taking. When we aren’t honest with ourselves and God, we are opening up a door to our souls to be manipulated and stolen away.

2.      Desire Towards Change

In talking about this determinate, I think it is important to understand what I mean by change. When I talk about changing, I don’t mean just physical or changing your environment. The change I am referring to is a spiritual change.

A change where you ask God to show you where you are lacking, not you trying to figure out how to change through your own accord. I am going to refer to this as spiritual change.

So, in this determinate a person has to have the desire to change on a spiritual level. You might be asking yourself what that looks like, let me give an example.

At the end of 2023 I had a huge crisis occur in my life. This crisis required that I move from Colorado to Las Vegas. Not only did I have to move from my lovely apartment that I had all to myself, in a state I loved, but I also had to move in with my mom.

That’s right, I had to do the dreaded move back in with your parents. This transition has been extremely hard! It caused me to be very angry with God. A topic I discussed in a blog post a few weeks ago. Click this link to find that blog, but I digress.

This transition has forced me to make a choice. I either decide to look within and see what God is doing or I continue to be filled with rage and try to control the situation.

I am happy to say that I chose to lean on God. Making this decision has made me evaluate the parts of my life where I have fallen short. An example is my relationship with money. Instead of being conscious that my money isn’t mine, I spent every dime on myself.

I didn’t praise God for the money I was making. I didn’t tithe 10% as God instructs me to do. My mentality was, “God this is all the money I have, and I don’t make a lot.

Tithing 10% is a lot of what I make, and I want to enjoy my life and, and, and.” I let my greed get the best of me. Well let me tell you, that hasn’t done me a bit of good. At the stage of life I am now, I am barely getting by.

Losing so much has forced me to look within and see the amount of greed that has been living inside me. It has forced me to look to God and ask Him for a soul transformation.

To learn and grow like I never have before. This is the type of spiritual change that has to be present for Christian therapy to be successful.

3.      Determination Towards Healing

You may be wondering, “Amanda aren’t change and healing the same thing?” They are not. To change and to heal are two very different experiences. Healing is the process of the whole person being transformed.

You cannot heal without the entirety of your soul being made well. Where with change you can easily focus on one item. Finally, healing is long term. Change could be for a moment.

To help drive this home I am going to continue on with the story I gave above. I am in a change and healing period of my life.

And while I have talked about the things in my life that I am changing on a spiritual level, these items are also causing me to heal wounds. I never had parents who taught me finances.

In fact, my parents struggled in teaching me several life skills. That has been a wound that I have walked around with for a long time. This huge transition has forced me to look at these hurts in my life and decide what I want to do with them. I am happy to say I have chosen healing and I hope to see you choose the same path.

The therapy journey is not an easy one. I always tell people that therapy is not for those that are lazy. Good therapy is going to push you, challenge you, and force you to look at the places that have been plaguing you. Your deliverance in that process relies entirely on you.

If you are in a place where you want to start that healing process click this link and fill out my contact page, or call me at (725) 356-6631. I am so excited for the transformation God has for you!