"He is a good Wizard.
Whether he is a man or not I cannot tell, for I have never seen him."
The Wizard of OZ
Frank Baum
The word psychotherapy comes from Greek. Loosely translated, psyche means soul and the therapeutic herapist is meant to be the attendant or the one dealing with healing of the soul. It wasn’t until the late nineteenth century with the dramatic input of physicians like Charcot, Freud and others that the psychotherapist became a person entrusted with healing the mind separate from the soul. Now, I am not sure where the soul is located or exactly what it is, but I am certain that it has little to do with the mind as a separate entity.
It is true that psychotherapists are trained professionals, but the great ones are more like magicians. They are ordinary mortals whose magic is the ability to make you believe in yourself. Yes, they may teach some tools and educate you along the way, but ultimately they are no different than the unmasked mortal who changed the lives of those who believed in him in the story and beloved movie, The Wizard of Oz.
Dorothy, The Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion and the Straw Man sought the Wizard in the Emerald City, They followed the yellow brick road and after many adventures, each found that they already possessed the very qualities they so intensely wanted. Once they found what they were seeking, each could move on and Dorothy could go home. She could return to her own life, as the same person, yet changed. An unexpected tornado tossed her into a world she had not planned to enter. Yet once she took the path, what an extraordinary life-changing adventure she had. Life is like that sometimes, isn’t it?
"Then you must go to the City of Emeralds. Perhaps Oz will help you."
"Where is this city?" asked Dorothy.
"It is exactly in the center of the country, and is ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told you of."
"How can I get there?" asked Dorothy.
"You must walk. It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible.”
A psychotherapist is no more than a wizard or wizardess whose task is to help you find your self and in so doing seek your own soul. When your personal tornados toss you into unknown territory, learn to live with the upheaval and follow your dreams. Let your wizard or wizardess help you. Remember your professional’s task is to guide you along the way. Just as in the Wizard of Oz, the wizard is a very ordinary human. He or she just happens to be an extraordinary wizard.
This column's for you,
DR. D
Dorree Lynn, PH.D
About the Author
Dr. Dorree Lynn is co-founder of the Institute for the Advanced Study of Psychotherapy and a practicing clinician in New York and Washington, DC. Dr. Lynn served on the executive board of the American Academy of Psychotherapists and she is on the editorial board of their publication, Voices. She is also a regular columnist for the Washington, DC newspaper, The Georgetowner. Dr. Lynn is a noted speaker and well known on the lecture circuit.