Why Therapists Challenge Assumptions

Therapists sometimes act like devil’s advocates in sessions, because we try to spark seeing things another way. Why do we do that? By challenging your perspective regularly, we help you have more control over how you see the world around you. When you can change your point of view, you have more power and control over your life. Take these words by Friedrich Nietzsche: "There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how you use them." In seeing the challenges in front of you as learning opportunities, or propellers for growth, you no longer feel as defeated or powerless. Doing this is a skill, one that takes a lot of practice. This is the skill that therapists help you practice, because as they question your assumptions, and show you a different way to think about something, you pick up that ability too.

"There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how you use them."

~ Friedrich Nietzsche