Choosing the right type of therapy can be a pivotal decision in your healing journey.
With so many approaches available, it’s natural to feel unsure about which one will best suit your needs. Each form of therapy has its own strengths and is designed to address particular aspects of the human experience—whether it’s emotional, cognitive, or behavioural. Ultimately, the goal of nay kind of therapy is to help you understand yourself more deeply, overcome challenges, and move toward a healthier, more fulfilling life. In this post, I’ll explore some of the more popular therapeutic approaches, and then look at a method that I believe can be particularly beneficial for many people: shadow work.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
One of the most commonly recommended forms of therapy is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT is grounded in the belief that our thoughts influence our feelings and behaviours, and by changing our thinking patterns, we can change our emotional experiences. It’s highly structured and goal-oriented, making it an excellent choice if you’re looking for a clear, focused strategy to tackle specific issues like anxiety, depression, or phobias.
CBT is particularly effective for individuals who need to break free from negative thought cycles. However, while CBT is a highly effective therapy for many people, it primarily focuses on managing symptoms rather than exploring deeper, unconscious issues. It might not dive into the root causes of your emotional pain if your struggles are more deeply rooted in childhood or subconscious processes.
Psychodynamic Therapy
If you’re seeking a more in-depth exploration of your current issues and difficulties, or you just want to understand yourself better, you might like to consider psychodynamic therapy.
This approach is based on the idea that unconscious processes and past experiences, especially those from childhood, shape your current behavior. Psychodynamic therapy encourages you to explore these hidden dynamics, aiming to bring unresolved conflicts to the surface where they can be processed and understood.
Psychodynamic therapy is valuable for understanding the “why” behind patterns of behavior and emotional states, but it can be a longer-term commitment. If you’re someone who enjoys reflection and is comfortable with the idea of delving into your past, this type of therapy can offer deep insights. However, it can also feel like a slow process, and for some people, especially those looking for more actionable change, it may not provide the immediate relief they’re hoping for.
Mindfulness-Based Therapies
Another powerful therapeutic approach is Mindfulness-Based Therapy, including Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). These approaches are designed to help you become more present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations without judgment. They focus on cultivating a non-reactive, compassionate attitude toward yourself, which can be particularly useful for reducing stress and preventing relapse into depression or anxiety.
Mindfulness-based therapies are great if you want to develop a healthier relationship with your emotions and thoughts. However, like CBT, these therapies may be more focused on symptom management and present-moment awareness rather than deep internal exploration. They don’t typically delve into the reasons why certain patterns or emotions keep arising, which might leave you with unanswered questions if you’re looking for deeper healing.
Person-Centred Therapy
If you’re looking for a supportive and non-directive approach, Person-Centred Therapy (also known as Rogerian therapy) might resonate with you. This type of therapy places emphasis on creating a safe, empathic environment where you can explore your emotions and experiences at your own pace. The therapist acts as a guide rather than a director, encouraging you to find your own answers through self-exploration.
Person-centred therapy is excellent for individuals who may have never had a space to express themselves freely or who feel disconnected from their own feelings. It can be a profoundly healing experience to be truly seen and heard without judgment. However, because it is non-directive, it might not be the best choice if you’re seeking more structured guidance or if you feel stuck in your patterns and need help breaking free from them.
Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt therapy is another approach that focuses on the here-and-now, but with a greater emphasis on how you experience your present emotions and environment. It aims to bring awareness to feelings and sensations that are often ignored or suppressed. By encouraging you to pay attention to your physical and emotional responses, Gestalt therapy helps you reconnect with parts of yourself that you might have cut off, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
While it can be a very dynamic and experiential form of therapy, it may not provide the depth some people need to explore hidden, unconscious aspects of their psyche. It’s more about immediate awareness and experience rather than long-term patterns.
Shadow Work – Uncovering the Hidden Parts of the Self
After considering those therapeutic approaches, and in particular if none of them sound right for you, you may like to consider shadow work. Shadow work (read about it here) is a form of deep, introspective therapy that encourages you to confront the parts of yourself that you have repressed or denied—the parts Carl Jung referred to as the “shadow.” These are often aspects of your personality or emotions that you’ve learned to hide, either because they were deemed unacceptable by society or because they cause you discomfort. While other therapies may focus on managing symptoms or fostering mindfulness, shadow work goes to the root of the matter. It invites you to look into the darkest corners of your unconscious mind to find the aspects of yourself that have been buried. It also invites you to step into your finest self, and embody the power that lies in your king archetype.
Why Shadow Work?
Over the course of life, we can all begin to feel held back from getting what we want – happiness and good relationships especially – by unresolved emotional patterns that arise unexpectedly, perhaps triggered by certain people or situations. You might find that you react more strongly than you wish to certain triggers, or that certain thoughts or feelings keep surfacing despite your attempts to manage them. These recurring emotions might be connected to deeper, unconscious beliefs about yourself—beliefs that were formed in your early life or shaped by experiences you haven’t yet fully processed in therapy.
Click here for 10 videos introducing shadow work!
Shadow work helps you bring these unconscious elements into consciousness. By working through these hidden aspects of yourself, you’ll likely find that many of your reactions and feelings begin to make sense in a new way. The parts of yourself that feel stuck or conflicted are often linked to things you’ve pushed down or rejected. By exploring and embracing these parts of yourself, you’ll not only gain a deeper understanding of who you are, but you’ll also unlock your full potential for growth and self-compassion.
How Shadow Work Differs
Shadow work differs from traditional forms of therapy in that it isn’t merely about symptom management or behaviour modification. Instead, it’s about integration. It seeks to make you whole by helping you embrace the parts of yourself you’ve rejected or kept hidden. This type of therapy can bring profound emotional and psychological shifts. When you integrate your shadow, you’re not just alleviating symptoms—you’re transforming your entire relationship with yourself. The basis of this integration is parts work; in particular, parts work using the model of archetypes: to be exact, the archetypes of King, Warrior, Magician and Lover devised by Moore and Gillette and explained in my book Warrior Magician Lover King.
By integrating the parts of yourself that you’ve been avoiding, you create space for healing and growth. This process can be uncomfortable, as it involves facing aspects of your personality or past that you might prefer to avoid, but it’s ultimately one of the most powerful ways to promote deep and lasting change.
I believe shadow work can offer the emotional healing and depth of exploration many people are seeking. It provides an opportunity to look beneath the surface, confront hidden fears and desires, and come to terms with the parts of oneself that feel unresolved. It’s a transformative process that can lead to a fuller, more authentic life. If you’re ready to explore this, I would be delighted to guide you on that journey.