Therapy is not simply talking about your problems. To be sure, this is an important part of the process. Wading through the difficult content of your life is necessary to establish a working understanding of how your experiences are impacting you. At some point, however, if true healing is what you are looking for, then the experience of love must come to the fore. Not simple romantic love, the kind where our emotions are stirred and we have feelings of longing and desire, but rather, a more mature, stable sense of love – one that is inclusive, accepting, compassionate and wise. We all carry the seeds of this kind of love within us; it is intrinsic to our very nature. The trick is to invite this love into the therapy space, and to let it attend to our wounding, hurts, pain and conflicts. This love is healing. And to be in touch with this love while we are hurting is to begin to turn the tides from fear, sadness and grief, to love, joy and peace. Now that’s therapy.

artwork: Galileo Chini, Canale a Bangkok