About Psychotherapy
There are two ultimate goals of psychotherapy: 1) Autonomy, taking control of one's own life; and 2) a compassionate understanding of one's parents, other people, and one's self.

Intermediate goals have to do with dealing constructively with uncomfortable feelings, e.g. low self worth, depression, delusions, anger, etc., false beliefs, and repetitive destructive behaviors.

In practice, psychotherapy consists of three distinct, yet overlapping, steps.

1) It usually begins with FEELINGS of discomfort which bring the client to see the therapist.

2) It continues with COGNITIVE EXPLORATION, e.g. (symptomatology, passivity, consequences, tried and failed remedies, and alternatives.)

3) This leads to the final step: BEHAVIORAL CHANGE e.g. in speech patterns, habitual behaviors, practiced internal dialogue, expressing compassion, and becoming decisive. When psychotherapy fails, it is usually at this third stage, a refusal to make behavioral change.