How To Be YOUR OWN BEST PSYCHOTHERAPIST

The Key to Your Psychological Health in a Nutshell

BY DR. MICHAEL MAMAS

Foreword

The art of psychotherapy is about to take an evolutionary step forward. In this little book, Dr. Michael Mamas proposes a radically different yet profoundly simple approach to the process of self-actualization. This powerful understanding of the human condition has helped many lead deeper, more fulfilling lives. This approach, which Dr. Mamas has termed Transgradient Counseling™, has an incredibly powerful potential to help us gain deeper and deeper levels of self-knowledge.

Since working with the principles of Transgradient Counseling over the past six years, I’ve watched my clients move faster and deeper in therapy than I ever thought possible. Those suffering from depression feel better quicker, relationship issues untangle, and those who just feel stagnant in their lives resolve their dilemma and move on quickly. I sit in awe as a participant in my clients’ unfoldment.

A quick note to my fellow professionals: We have invested a lot of time, energy, and money in our training. We mean well and pride ourselves in our ability to help and “be with” our clients. Much of what Dr. Mamas presents can be threatening. It may be tempting to dismiss it with, “Oh sure, I get it.” Please don’t do yourself this disservice.

Take the time to explore your relationship with your models and preconceived notions. Challenge yourself to loosen your beliefs on what you believe your clients should think or feel in any given situation. See what happens when you risk knowing nothing. Sit with your clients as they explore their inner landscape from a multitude of perspectives. Join in that exploration with them. I can promise you that you will become a better therapist. I have seen the impact this work has had on those professionals who have studied with Dr. Mamas. You will free yourself from the onerous burden of always having to be one step ahead of your client. You will develop a deeper respect and appreciation for those who enter your office. Remember, psycho means “soul” in Greek; theraputae means “healer.” Take the risk of exploring your models, beliefs, and self to become a true facilitator of the healing of souls.

David Cornsweet, Ph.D., D.A.P.A.
Certified Diplomate in Psychotherapy
September 12, 2000
Dr. David Cornsweet is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice, and a certified diplomate of the American Psychotherapy Association. He has over thirty years of experience in the field, and has studied with many of the acknowledged masters of psychology in both western and eastern traditions. Dr. Cornsweet is regarded widely as an innovator in mind/body integration. He has taught in numerous schools and training programs throughout the country. Currently, Dr. Cornsweet resides in Del Mar, California with his wife, Jennifer, and his son, Daniel.

Introduction

This book, a transcription of a four-day lecture series I recently gave in New York City, is not just about theory. It is a tour through your inner landscape that concludes with a healthier, wiser, and happier you. Each section corresponds with one day of the training. At the end of some of the chapters are questions. I suggest that as you go through the book, you write down your answers to these questions in a separate notebook, and refer back to them when you are asked to do so.

Why You Must Be Your Own Best Psychotherapist

What does it mean to be psychologically healthy?

The experts disagree. According to a recent count, there are over two hundred and fifty distinct types of psychotherapy. That doesn’t include spiritual and holistic approaches.

Therapeutic methods vary widely. Some therapists hypnotize you, others try to program (or deprogram) you. Some tell you how to behave, others tell you how to misbehave. Some think it is their job to figure you out, others hold you under a mattress and tell you to fight your way out.

As a group, psychotherapists have not come to any consensus of what it means to be psychologically healthy or how to help their clients attain psychological health. Consequently, unless you wish to cast your fate to the wind, you must take charge of your own psychotherapy and look to the fundamentals. Only then do the divergent perspectives come together and make sense. Not only can you be your own best psychotherapist, you must be. The alternative is to play dice with your own mental health. There is an additional and very important reason why you must become your own best psychotherapist: to live life responsibly. This requires that you be psychologically healthy. The alternative is to live your life as a victim of your own psychological conditionings and traumas. It is of utmost importance that you spend some time exploring and working with the landscape of your inner psyche. In our culture we understand that if you do not brush your teeth, your health will suffer. Likewise, if you do not “brush the teeth of your own psychological landscape,” your life will suffer.

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