Processes of Oppression
One of my favorite parts of my job are the opportunities I have to teach and train. One of the first aspects of therapy I teach people I supervise is the difference between content and process. Content is the overt subject of the conversation. For example, a patient/client might complain that they are always doing things for their partner and their partner never seems to reciprocate the kindness. Paying attention to the content only, I might provide some validation and sympathy. “That sounds so hard, you must resent them.” This is great if you are someone’s friend but it is not entirely therapeutic. A good therapist attends to the what is going on in the background. What are the needs being met by this behavior? What patterns are being repeated? For example, a good therapist might ask questions to see if there is some co-dependance in the relationship. One might explore what unspoken expectations this individual has and perhaps work with them on assertiveness. Perhaps they do not feel ...