Written by Juan Carlos Gouveia, Solution Focused Therapist
Juan Carlos Gouveia is a Solution Focused Therapist – Clinical Hypnotherapist and Performance Coach. After 22 years’ experience as a Biomedical Scientist, he retrained as a therapist, using his insights to help his clients understand, and master, the fundamental mind/body connection.
How often have you come across an insightful post from a Registered and Accredited Therapist and Coach that truly resonated with you? Did you find yourself drawn to their content, eager to follow and read more of their posts?
Many people feel the need to seek guidance and inspiration from social media posts by therapists and coaches, especially when facing challenges or seeking personal growth. Their messages often provide valuable insights and perspectives that resonate with our own experiences.
So, what is it about these messages that resonate with us? For some, it's the clarity and wisdom they offer, or the sense of validation and understanding they provide. For others it's the feeling of empowerment that comes from knowing that we're not alone in our struggles and that there are tools and strategies available to help us navigate life's challenges.
However (and you knew there was going to be a “however”, didn’t you?) the mind’s attention span can be very short, and the feeling of “instant gratification” that we get from reading a short post on social media is very attractive. There’s that feeling of “doing something” – but not taking us out of our comfort zone.
People who harbour the impression that they lack the confidence to make real change in their lives often turn to “therapy posts” for a quick burst of acknowledgment that “at least I’m doing something”. But if that “something” has no cumulative value, then they may quickly tire of it and try other posters, which then becomes part of a habitual cycle of unproductive behaviour.
In short, reading or watching is not doing, and it’s the doing that makes the difference.
The thing is, the brain can easily “fool” us into thinking we’ve done something when actually we haven’t. An example is watching a gardening or DIY programme on TV. At the end of it, we may get a mild feeling of satisfaction or a subtle positive feeling. This is because the brain isn’t good at distinguishing between experiences we view passively and those which it actively engages in – we often generate some of the same chemicals produced by doing DIY or gardening simply by watching someone else doing it!
Understanding the difference between passive learning and active engagement
Passive learning involves simply receiving information from observation and reading without actively considering or evaluating it, applying it or seeking to make changes in one's life. This can be compared to reading a self-help book or attending a lecture without taking any further action. You can let the material wash over you, so you “feel” like you’re doing something, but until you take action those ideas are likely to be forgotten. On the other hand, active engagement in therapy and coaching requires your willingness to delve deeper into your challenges, emotions, and behaviours. It involves actively participating in discussions, setting goals, and implementing strategies to create positive change.
While passive learning may provide you with some insight or momentary motivation, true growth and transformation come from actively engaging with a Trained, Accredited and Registered Professional who can guide and support you through the process of self-discovery and personal development. Through active learning in the form of enquiry, discussion and accountability partnership, real progress can be made.
By recognising the difference between passive learning and active engagement, you can take proactive, tangible steps towards overcoming your challenges and achieving your goals, as well as developing critical skills.
Understanding the value of therapy and coaching
The key to real, meaningful change lies in recognising that simply receiving information is not the same as actively engaging in therapy and coaching to address specific challenges in your life. While it may be helpful to read books, listen to podcasts, or attend workshops on personal development, true growth and transformation come from working with a trained professional who can provide personalised guidance and support tailored to your own personal situation and requirements.
Therapy and coaching are two tremendously successful approaches to significant life change. “Which is better?”, people ask me, and I reply “both!”. The reason? – they work best when they work together! Working with a registered and accredited practitioner who can use both of these tools in combination can help to give clients better and more lasting outcomes.
Therapy allows you to explore deep-rooted issues, find answers you need, process emotions, and develop coping strategies. On the other hand, coaching focuses on setting goals, creating action plans, and holding you accountable for making positive changes in your life.
Harness the potential of two powerful approaches working together
By working with someone who can support you in using these two very effective approaches working in a complementary action, actively participating in therapy and in coaching sessions, you can gain valuable insights, overcome obstacles, and ultimately achieve your greater potential.
My Solution Focused Therapy provides you with both Clinical Hypnotherapy and Coaching Services, helping you to boost your self-esteem and confidence, overcome fears and hidden mental barriers to support you in unleashing your full potential.
My Solution Focused Therapy is focused on mind and body health and emotional healing, I help you work through past traumas, manage mental health conditions, and build healthier relationships. The mind-body connection is fundamental to my approach; thoughts, fears, and suppressed emotions are often expressed through the body. We “feel” emotions, and our body expresses those feelings and sensations for which we do not have words, or allow ourselves to say. This can cause profound health issues, but the key to change is you.
The Therapy part of the service assists you in uncovering these deeply-buried links and, through exploration in a safe and supported environment, disempower them from negatively affecting your quality of life.
The Coaching part of the service supports you practically in setting clear objectives, creating action plans, and holding you accountable for progress.
Combining the fundamental benefits of both coaching and therapy empowers you to navigate life challenges, to reach your full potential, and to enhance your overall well-being.
How therapy and coaching helps you address specific challenges
Solution Focused Therapy provides a structured, safe and supportive environment where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours in depth without worry or judgment.
Most importantly, through this process, you gain insight into the root causes of your challenges; once we have detected the roots of the issue, we can then work together to develop strategies to overcome them. I offer support, guidance, feedback, and tools tailored to your specific needs, helping you to navigate difficult situations and make positive changes in your life.
By actively engaging in therapy and coaching sessions, you can break free from patterns of behaviour that no longer serve you, build self-awareness and confidence, enhance your boundaries and communication skills, improve relationships, manage stress more effectively, and ultimately achieve greater fulfilment and wellbeing.
Therapy is not just about building awareness and understanding, it is about activating your will, life energy, sense of personal agency and your capacity for making healthy choices so that you can take action and change behaviours which no longer serve your well-being.
Coaching complements therapy by providing you with additional tools and strategies for personal growth and change, as well as vital accountability progress milestones.
Taking action to improve your life through therapy and coaching
Investing in therapy and coaching is a little like buying a car – if you don’t get in and drive it, you won’t go anywhere. Engaging in therapy and coaching is not a passive process; it requires active participation and a willingness to make changes in your life. You are in control at all times. Simply receiving information without taking action will not lead to the desired results. By actively engaging in therapy and coaching, you are able to address specific challenges head-on and work towards finding solutions that are tailored to your individual needs.
Remember that taking action is key to setting goals, and practicing new ways of thinking, to making lasting changes in your life through therapy and coaching.
As we’ve discussed, it's important to recognize that simply absorbing information from social media is not the same as actively engaging in therapy and coaching to address specific challenges in our lives. While insightful posts can offer valuable guidance and support, they should be viewed as complements to, rather than substitutes for, professional therapeutic interventions.
My Solution Focused Therapy – Clinical Hypnotherapy and Coaching Services provides you with an action-oriented, solution-focused approach, helping you to implement the changes you deserve and want to make in your life and boost your self-esteem and confidence, overcome fears and unleash your full potential.
The very fact that you read social media posts around mental health and wellbeing-related material may hint that you are looking for something to help you resolve issues and make a happier life for yourself. Don’t be fooled by the “quick buzz” of chemical satisfaction that these snatches of insight give you. While this is an indicator that you are open to working on yourself, passive engagement will not change anything. Active engagement, through the collaboration with a trained and accredited professional, will help you start making differences in your life that will help you to manage your life and create a more enlightened, and hopefully, happier and more successful future.
Juan Carlos Gouveia, Solution Focused Therapist
Juan Carlos Gouveia is a Solution Focused Therapist – Clinical Hypnotherapist and Performance Coach. After 22 years’ experience as a Biomedical Scientist, he retrained as a therapist, using his insights to help his clients understand, and master, the fundamental mind/body connection. Clients come to him for his bespoke combination therapy short programme, to be guided and supported through an exploration of their subconscious drivers and long-forgotten experiences which, unconsciously, still shape their actions in the present day. Juan Carlos helps his clients discover the answers to what’s holding them back, helping them progress. His passion is helping his clients achieve the change they deserve.
