Why do we visit the past in therapy?

You might have been to therapy before and wondered “why is my counselor asking me about things that have happened in the past, when the problem that I have right now, is happening right now?”

There is an incredible amount of value in implementing real-time techniques that address exactly what is coming up for you day to day. However, when we have reoccurring behavioral patterns that keep popping up time after time, and cognitive techniques aren’t supporting us this can create a lot of frustration.

It can be helpful to explore some of the lived experiences that have happened in the past that may be subconsciously impacting how we act on a day-to-day basis. When we explore what has happened in the past to shift a way of being in the present we are working with what’s called memory reconsolidation. If you’re curious about what that technique does, keep reading!

The brain gets all these sensory inputs on a day-to-day basis and the ones it thinks are important for survival get stored in our long-term memory. We have two types of long-term memory, implicit and explicit.

Implicit Memory: Otherwise known as unconscious or automatic memory. This is used when we are operating more from instinct, so for example riding a bike or typing on a keyboard. The deep beliefs we hold about ourselves and the world can be considered implicit because they’re often in our unconscious and we usually aren’t aware of them.

Explicit Memory: Memory that is concerned with recollecting facts and events. You need to consciously use this kind of memory, for example, recalling facts for a test.

People used to think implicit memory couldn’t be changed, so we used therapies that mainly focused on trying to override or control implicit learning with logic and override our instincts over time.

While it is tough to create a change, we now know that we can “update” an implicit memory or core belief if it is creating a response in the present that creates harm.

Imagine your memories as files that are being stored on a computer. When we store them we compress them into a zip file, which allows us to hold a lot! When they’re stored they're harder to edit so to make a change, we need to open them back up! By pulling these memories up and reactivating them our memories and associated beliefs become a bit more malleable.

At this point, it’s important to introduce a new experience or irrefutable proof that contrasts this felt sense. In the past that felt sense may have been true and necessary to keep us safe, but this type of therapeutic approach works to assert that what isn’t supporting us is no longer needed. This process can create transformational change especially if we are reactivating within the body and acknowledging sensation, not just cognitively.

It’s incredibly important to proceed with this kind of work only once safety has been established within the therapeutic context. Memory reconsolidation is a delicate process and if not done with care, can be retraumatizing. A part of the healing that can come from the process is in direct response to feeling safe with the counselor.

Also remember that within the therapeutic context, there is always a choice, and the path you take is an invitation.