How long does it take?

I have written before about how long therapy takes because it is a question that comes up fairly often. Recently a patient wrote this to me and I think it captures very well the impossibility of answering that question with any certainty. In fact, “It depends.” is probably the best answer. I thought today that the effect of therapy sessions is akin to the effect of water dripping slowly on a rock. Any individual drip on the rock may seem to have no impact. Any individual therapy session may seem to similarly have had no or only superficial impact. But add time and repetition and the cumulative impact of all those drips create a channel in the rock and remove layers of sediment, uncovering hidden depths and textures in the rock. Similarly, the cumulative effect of all the therapy sessions creates a channel into the soul, revealing depths of the personality that weren't visible before. But, one session or even dozens of sessions probably isn't going to reveal much by themselves. It's time and repetition it seems to me.
Source: Jung At Heart - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: blogs