Edge of the Couch Working with Intellectualizing
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Apr 9, 2025 Dive into the intriguing world of therapy as the hosts dissect the challenge of clients who over-intellectualize. Discover why emotional disconnect often accompanies articulate expressions, and how therapists can balance validation with deeper emotional engagement. Explore strategies to navigate the complexities of emotional expression and learn techniques to reconnect clients with their feelings. Along the way, they share humorous insights and delve into the importance of creating a safe space for emotional exploration.
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Intellectualizing as Defense Mechanism
- Intellectualizing serves as a defense mechanism to avoid difficult feelings.
- It can feel like productive work but often blocks genuine emotional processing.
Understanding Before Feeling Trap
- Some clients feel they must understand "why" before they can feel emotions.
- This endless quest traps them in intellectualizing, delaying emotional engagement.
Begin in Intellectualizing with Patience
- It's acceptable to start therapy sessions in an intellectualizing space with clients.
- Recognize it and plan to transition gently into body and feeling work over time.