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Article

Psychotherapy as An Easter Egg Hunt: A Modest Proposal on Power

Pages 99-101
Published online: 28 Dec 2017
 
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The wrong way to conduct an Easter egg hunt is to tell the kid where every egg is hidden. That's no fun; the kid is robbed of joy. The other wrong (no fun) way is to let the kid wander in circles, fruitlessly searching and never finding while the adult-in-charge abdicates supervising responsibility. The kid is robbed of a self-concept as a capable, powerful being.

Psychotherapy is the orderly process of recovering or uncovering the personal power in each of us. When therapists, answering their own needs and anxieties, over-conduct the process by making decisions for, subtly controlling direction, or thinking for, clients are invited into a rebellious and/or over-compliant response which robs them of perception of both power and joy.

However, conducted as a mutual partnership, the therapist peaceful within, the client freed to use his or her own wit, will, and creativity, psychotherapy becomes an event of discovering power and joy, in short, an Easter egg hunt.

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Author information

Nan Vincent

Nan Vincent, M.S.W. is an ITAA Regular Member in private practice in Beaumont, Texas, and a previous contributor to TAJ.