About Psyche in Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy does not primarily concern understanding individual disorders related to the psyche (more on this later), it rather relates to the method and approach of the psychotherapist. It goes beyond such limits, which are necessary, however, to know if one has reached the right specialist.

In reality, psychotherapy is always, in the literal sense, the healing of the soul. The question is, what is this soul. We will not dwell on translating words or what this concept might have meant at different times in human history (although this is extremely important).

Let’s ask ourselves the basic question — does the soul even exist? It seems so. Assuming the thesis about polygenetic unconscious processes appearing in different cultural circles, one can consider that psyche is some form of collective consciousness, which probably appeared at a similar time in different unrelated cultural traditions (we don’t know this for sure, let’s treat it as a certain assumption for discussion). This construct has survived in various forms until today, especially at the level of individual consciousness.

So in short, it may be a form of consciousness associated with other mental processes that was created as a result of reaching a certain level of human development on the physiological, biological, mental and above all social level.

What working definition of the soul can we adopt? For example, assuming that it is an individual internal construct that creates the basis for the possibility of self-observation and self-assessment. It also strives for some new form of development, recognized in oneself during the course of life.

One can also say that psyche allows for experiencing the meaning of life and one’s own goals, which do not always seem externally coherent. Disruptions in this area can manifest through long-term mental or emotional disorders, preventing full functioning.

Contrary to appearances, the psyche is cruel, unfulfilled it can disrupt functioning in every possible area of life. Experience — I feel that I did something wrong and it stops me from achieving the potential that only psyche understands, and I as an individual start to suffer.

Recent years of research in neurophysiology and neurology cast some doubt on the existence of free will (it’s about how quickly we make decisions, between automatism and conscious choice).

Unfortunately, this discussion also has a religious, even spiritual dimension, thereby it is difficult to find good foundations for understanding this problem for everyone. The problem is that, in general, mental health also assumes the realization of one’s consciousness on a religious and spiritual level, besides family life, relationships, building bonds, a sense of security, material balance, and optimizing the quality of one’s life.

Something happened at the neurological, biological, and evolutionary level that we discovered spirituality and some spiritual or religious consciousness that unified social bonds and created culture.

Can we talk about an invention, if many people experience religiosity or spirituality personally without external stimulation such as psychostimulants? Therefore, the issue of psyche is controversial even among psychologists, as it has deeper and more controversial connotations than we would like, which does not allow discussing it as a science or scientifically proven treatment.

If something spiritual appears in the background, it begins to lose scientific value (although not always, in psychology there is also a space for discussion and research of these issues, created by the psychology of spirituality or psychology of religion), because it begins to take on a dimension that is difficult to discuss from a researcher’s perspective, so we must be very careful here.

Let’s use Plato’s metaphor of the cave as a backup. Let’s treat psyche as an idea, let’s assume for now that it exists. If something exists in the ideal world, it has some confirmation in reality.

An idea is not an archetype or value, rather an external reference point that can be internalized. Going to psychotherapy, we want to avoid suffering, illness, get rid of dysfunction without really knowing our true selves. This is what psychotherapy serves — recognizing psyche through the ego.

Ego is more real/tangible because it realizes itself on a simpler level through boundaries and expressing them. So to shorten this note about psychotherapy — to heal psyche, one needs to know oneself well and accept oneself, set strong boundaries, and check if we are realizing ourselves in our own life enough to feel fulfilled and as calm as possible.

Certainly, the ability to love, which gives strength and builds self-development potential in this dimension, is an important point of reference for mental health. How this can be realized on an individual or social level is a matter of recognition for oneself, also during psychotherapy.

Is there hidden egoism here, which people often fear when coming to psychotherapy? From the perspective of psyche, no. One must recognize for oneself what is right and what is not. Psychotherapy may not answer this. This will be important for building the ego (finding one’s own moral structure).

Why can one be afraid of psychotherapy? Because it can really affect many social relationships, which in the present times have their own dimension (needs). If someone expects in a relationship that the other person is only oriented towards fulfilling expectations, they annihilate that person already at the level of the ego.

Who we are dealing with is an emanation of his or her individuum, which is a certain form of expression not fully realized. Since there are no boundaries, psyche must be dissociated. And since it is cruel, it will start to be destructive.

What can love be as a basis for relationships? Maybe the possibility of joint realization of personal psyche with respect for boundaries? This would most correspond to this perspective. Is love where we annihilate ourselves at the level of the ego? Maybe that’s egoism?

Is psyche transgenerational? Probably yes, perhaps that’s why in systemic therapy we talk about family myths, and in psychogenealogy about transmissions and recreating certain stories in subsequent generations. Maybe it’s also necessary to heal family, cultural, social transmission.

How cruel can psyche be? As long as it leads to suffering until it finds relief for it. We have the opportunity to observe this every day and look for answers.

It seems, then, that psyche can be a social construct that realizes itself at different levels in human life. It’s hard to deny its existence. We don’t know if it can be left in the hope that it will leave us alone. As a psychotherapist and researcher, I have not come across any such absolute construct.

Warmly inviting you,

Paulina Kubś, M.A. Cabinet of Interventional Systemic-Cultural Psychotherapy.

(1) Venice May – Limerence [Official Video] – YouTube

Song lyrics:

Limerence Venice May

Your love is violent Your love is like a fired gun Heavy and silent, so silent Before what it’s done I know I cannot stay here any longer I knew long ago It’s over, still I’m waiting like a soldier For the final blow

Hold you, let me Hold you, let me Hold you, let me Hold you, let me

What lovers, what lovers we were What lovers we were when there were carpets of grass Then something shattered and it all went so awry We couldn’t make it a mile for all the pieces of glass

There’s nothing for me out there Nothing, not even the sun The moment I step out the door And look up to the sky it’s gone Sometimes a light gets through And I remember how it was before Like there was something else ahead I can’t quite make out anymore

Hold you, let me Hold you, let me Hold you, let me Hold you, let me

Dead, it’s dead, it’s dead, it’s dead It’s not dying anymore The roots of our land never grow The seasons don’t pass by our window

Say it, say it, say it Say it aloud, we’re nevermore Together let’s each put on a glove And bury the bones of our dead love

What lovers we were when there were carpets of grass Carpets of grass

Limerence Venice May