Why the name Park Bench Psychotherapy?
There are a few reasons for the name Park Bench Psychotherapy. For me, it defines the practice on multiple levels: personal, approach (methodology), and in healing and treatment. If you’re curious, I describe my perspectives below:
Personal
Fortunately, my journey led me to pursue a career in mental health. Following my Bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology, my life became stagnant and without clear direction (as for many with this type of degree). The pain and discomfort of this period led to a necessary reflection on my future. With the help of pure impulse and conscious contemplation, I decided to go back to school for a degree in mental health counseling.
Fast forward to the week before my first day of graduate school, I spent some time in my home town. Without an agenda, I walked to a local park which was home to many fond childhood memories. I wandered to one of the park benches and pulled out a fresh journal. I spent some time contemplating the next chapter of my life, and what it would require of me to make a difference in my upcoming career. It was on that bench I whole-heartedly committed to the field of mental health. I made a goal of not letting a day pass by that I didn’t do at least one thing related to my growth as a therapist, whether it be personal or professional.
Little did I know, until years later, how impactful that moment in the park meant. Since then, that commitment has stuck with me. It’s allowed me to dedicate my life, every day, to my career and personal mission.
Upon further reflection, I started to remember the other pivotal moments in my life that involved spending time in a park (and on park benches). Personally, a park bench has been a place of solitude, reflection, respite, inspiration, connection and grounding. I couldn’t think of anything more fitting than to weave this symbol into the fabric of my practice. If anything, it serves as a reminder of my commitment to the clients that put their faith and trust in me to help them on their own journey of freedom from the stagnant, painful, and hopeless moments of life.
Approach
Therapy can be intimidating. Sitting across from a dude in a leather chair that has a degree on the wall can be anything but comforting. It is because of this, my natural style, and what I believe to be an integral ingredient in healing that I facilitate the therapy process to be a warm, inviting, and casual yet professional endeavor. A relationship that allows a client to feel as though we are side by side, as equal participants. It is my goal to incorporate collaboration rather than one-sidedness.
I have also been told my approach is less “traditional”; I tend to be more actively engaged with the client where the “average” therapist may be less directive and verbally engaged. This environment, approach, and style can be depicted in the imagery of two people sitting on a park bench while comfortably exploring their internal and external world while actively engaged in the experience of reflection.
Treatment and Healing
Slowing Down
Living in a big city can easily disconnect us from ourselves, moving from one thing to the next without proper respite. The parks represent a dependable refuge from the hustle and bustle of urban living. It gives us an opportunity to connect to nature, slow down, and simply be. Having more moments of pause allows space for new and creative ways to act in the world, providing a necessary break in the chain of automated habits. This all becomes a prerequisite for a productive experience in therapy.
Connecting with the self and other
“We are wounded in relationship, and we heal in relationship”
Everything goes back to relationships – not honoring this truth would be doing a disservice to what mental “illness” is all about. A park bench symbolizes our primary relationships (with self and other). It’s a symbol of our essential need for solitude, to enrich our relationship with self. As we sit with our self in stillness, we can observe the discomforts that cause our distractions, addictions, procrastinations, and pain.
As much as it represents time with yourself, it also naturally encourages time with others. You don’t find many one-seater park benches. It innately denotes the necessity of the other, to form a relationship, even momentarily. This relationship with other is what makes therapy more powerful than what one may get from something like a self-help book.
Reflection and Realization
Therapy often requires a revisiting of the past. In order for this revisiting to be valuable, one must find a way to calmly reflect, own, and then realize their experiences. We are then able to adequately process the past. A park bench offers the invitation to do this proper self-reflection and realization.
Expanding Consciousness
Sitting on a park bench speaks to the importance of slowing down our often frenetic, fast-pace, and narrow-minded outlook. In order to adequately address many of the “issues” we pursue therapy for, a greater field of consciousness is needed. The right atmosphere and intention can allow us to broaden our view of the world and subsequently “take in” more than usual. This not about “zoning out”, but introducing a more mindful, conscious stance of our internal and external world.
This expanding of consciousness allows us to access new, higher order parts of our brain. This newfound access allows for proper integration of our past, present, and future. We can then adequately link our experiences to a cohesive personality – rather than maintaining a fragmented, stuck, and disintegrated sense of self.
Death and Rebirth
We can witness the passing of the seasons while sitting in the park (at least here in Chicago). These seasons are a humble reminder of what we can expect in healing and treatment. The natural death of our old patterns, defense mechanisms, beliefs, ego states, and narratives that aren’t serving us anymore is a necessary but sometimes painful process. Just as the trees let their leaves die off while faithfully waiting for the rebirth of spring – we would hope to do the same for ourselves. We let go of fear that the spring may never come, and surrender to the hope that our rebirth is as steady and assured as the budding trees of spring.
If you’re interested in seeing me in my Chicago office, feel free to call for a phone consultation at: 630-640-9580, or email me at adam@parkbenchtherapy.com.
*If you’re still wondering, I don’t do therapy on an actual park bench, but maybe one day…
