We have all heard stories about people who are lost in the woods repeatedly finding themselves back at the same tree they started from. Apparently, this isn't just a popular myth. According to an article published online by Current Biology on August 20, researchers have found that we tend to walk in circles when we are in unfamiliar territory and have no way to guide ourselves.
I think that the same is true for our inner worlds. When there are characteristics or behaviors that we would like to change, our initial attempts often send us in circles-leaving us no different than when we started. Who needs that frustration? But, when we are able to focus on learning more about those aspects of ourselves that we want to change and more about the behaviors or traits we'd like to develop, we don't just increase our knowledge base; we increase our chances of changing. In essence, our greater understanding allows us to create a map with guideposts to help us navigate from where we are to our goal.
Of course, sometimes people need help; they need professionals to help them map their course and support them as they venture forth. When this is the case, it's critical that the therapist provides a map that the patient can believe in. Only then are they willing to truly attempt to use that map. For this reason, it is standard advice that people should find a qualified therapist who they are comfortable with.
As it turns out, this advice is supported by research. A number of studiesshown that the compatibility of patient-therapist views of a problem accounts for a significant amount of success in treatment. In fact, Crane, Griffin, and Hill (1986) found that it accounted for 35% of outcome variance (that is, 35% of the differences found in the effectiveness of various therapies is due to this compatibility). It seems that when the patient and the therapist are in synch about what is causing the problem, the patient is more likely to see the therapist as credible and to feel understood. And, the patient is more likely to change.
I have to say that I love how the research on getting lost parallels so nicely with what happens in our inner worlds. It makes understanding ourselves-an often murky business-much easier.
Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps is a clinical psychologist in private practice and is on the medical staff at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, NJ.
