Clinically Reviewed By Nitasha Strait, Ph.D., M.Ed., MA, LMFT, CST
Psychotherapy is an evolving field, constantly adapting to new research, insights, and techniques. Among the many modalities available, Process-Oriented Therapy (Process Work) has emerged as a profound and deeply transformative approach to healing. Developed by Dr. Arnold Mindell, this therapeutic method provides a holistic framework that explores the intricacies of human experience, relationships, and inner conflicts. Process-oriented therapy allows therapists to guide clients toward long-term, sustainable change and personal growth, making it especially valuable for individuals seeking more than just surface-level solutions to their struggles.
If you’ve never heard of process-oriented therapy before, keep reading to explore what Process-Oriented Therapy is, its origins, how it compares to newer behavioral therapies, and why it’s a long-term investment that offers enduring results. We’ll also highlight research supporting its effectiveness and discuss why, for those seeking deep, lasting change, Process-Oriented Therapy could be the perfect fit.
What is Process-Oriented Therapy?
Process-oriented therapy (Process Work) is a type of psychotherapy that focuses less on diagnosing and stigmatizing a person and views symptoms and difficulties not merely as problems to be fixed but as gateways to deeper understanding and transformation. It takes a holistic approach, examining the individual as part of a larger, dynamic process that includes their inner experiences, relationships, body sensations, and even dreams. A large part of process work is shifting dynamics to experience different outcomes that will feel better.
This method of therapy helps clients become aware of the undercurrent driving many of their thoughts, emotions, and actions. Process-oriented therapy focuses on the subtle, often unconscious, processes that influence a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. By bringing these hidden dynamics into consciousness, process work encourages deep reflection and self-awareness, guiding individuals to understand the underlying causes of their struggles.
Process-Oriented Therapy is particularly effective for addressing issues related to:
– Attachment styles and relationship dynamics
– Anxiety, depression, and trauma
– Chronic physical symptoms or pain
– Life transitions and existential crises
– Conflicts in family or work environments
Unlike more symptom-focused therapies, which might aim to “fix” a problem quickly, process work delves into the root causes, examining how various life processes manifest in each individual. Process work also considers a person’s biology, marrying nature and nurture to better understand who each person is and what they bring to each experience they embark on.
For example, several studies have found correlations between the Big Five Personalities, theorized to be more innate than learned, and our attachment styles. A person who is naturally a bit more neurotic has a higher chance of not securely attaching to their caregivers in childhood and having more struggles in adult relationships regarding connection. A person who scores higher on extraversion, conscientiousness, or agreeableness is more likely to attach securely. Interestingly, opennessness was not found to correlate with attachment styles.
A process-oriented therapist can use this research-driven information to help guide people toward a better understanding of themselves and the world around them. Instead of changing who you are, process work brings you to understand, meet yourself where you are, and highlight your strengths.
The Origins of Process-Oriented Therapy
Process-Oriented Therapy was developed by Dr. Arnold Mindell, a Jungian psychologist and physicist, in the late 1970s. Mindell, inspired by both psychology and quantum physics, sought to create a therapy that considered the complexities of human experience as part of a larger field of interactions, where seemingly unrelated events and symptoms could provide valuable insights. His work blended Jungian analysis with Eastern philosophies, body awareness, and systems theory to form an integrative model.
In his foundational work, *The Dreambody: The Body’s Role in Healing the Self* (1982), Mindell introduced the concept of the “dreambody,” which posits that physical and emotional symptoms are interconnected, often mirroring unconscious psychological issues. Mindell’s revolutionary approach recognized that everything—from body sensations to interpersonal conflicts—holds the potential for healing if understood through a process-oriented lens.
Research Supporting Process-Oriented Therapy
While Process-Oriented Therapy is still considered outside the mainstream compared to other methods like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), emerging research and anecdotal evidence demonstrate its effectiveness.
Research in somatic psychology, for example, supports the idea that body sensations and physical symptoms can reveal underlying emotional or psychological issues. Studies show that bringing attention to these subtle sensations can help individuals release long-held trauma and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. In a meta-analysis of studies on mind-body therapies, participants reported greater improvements in emotional well-being, self-awareness, and long-term symptom relief compared to those in more cognitively focused therapies.
Another key aspect of therapy focused on understanding emotions and experiences is its emphasis on relationships and communication dynamics, a hallmark of attachment theory. The therapeutic process often involves examining how clients’ attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant, or disorganized) influence their relationships. Studies on attachment-based therapy suggest that a focus on relational patterns, as seen in Process-Oriented Therapy, can lead to significant improvements in emotional regulation, communication, and intimacy in both romantic, friendship, and familial relationships.
Process work has also been used effectively in group settings, especially in conflict resolution and organizational development. For instance, its principles have been applied in peace-building initiatives in regions of social unrest, where understanding group dynamics and unconscious processes is crucial for lasting conflict resolution.
Comparing Process-Oriented Therapy to Behavioral Therapy: Key Differences
To understand why Process-Oriented Therapy is a long-term, deeper approach to psychotherapy, it’s helpful to compare it to behavioral therapies like CBT. Both methods have their strengths, but they differ significantly in their philosophy, goals, and techniques.
| Process-Oriented Therapy | Behavioral Therapies (e.g., CBT) | |
| Philosophy | Focuses on deep exploration of emotions, underlying processes, and unconscious patterns to unearth change through awareness. | Emphasizes changing thought patterns and behaviors through structured techniques. |
| Primary Goal | Addresses the root causes of issues over time facilitating personal growth and deep emotional healing. Increasing self-awareness, inner harmony, and transformation. | Resolve specific problems (e.g., anxiety, depression) through short-term, solution-focused interventions. Reduce symptoms by changing thought patterns and behaviors |
| Duration of Therapy | Long-term, often ongoing, as clients work through layers of life experiences. Can take years to fully explore and understand one’s existence. | Typically short-term, with a focus on measurable outcomes (e.g., 12-20 sessions), addresses specific issues. |
| View of the Client’s Experience | Emphasizes subjective, emotional, and relational experiences, beliefs, and values. | Focuses on cognitive distortions, behaviors, and external symptoms. |
| Nature of Techniques | Uses open-ended dialogue, reflection, exploration of past traumas, dreams, body sensations, and the unconscious. | Structured techniques like thought tracking, reframing, and behavior modification (e.g., exposure therapy). |
| Role of the Therapist | Acts as a guide, helping clients explore deep emotions and unconscious processes. Helps clients make connections and come to insightful understandings. | Acts as a coach or teacher, providing strategies and tools to address specific cognitive distortions. |
| Approach to Symptoms | Views symptoms as guides and expressions of deeper emotional, relational, or unconscious conflicts. Emphasizes integration of mind, body, and emotions. | Views symptoms as problems to be solved, often through thought and behavior adjustment. Primarily cognitive, with a focus on thought-behavior links. |
| Focus on Relational Dynamics | Emphasizes the therapist-client or couple relationship as central to healing and growth. | Focuses less on relational dynamics, more on teaching self-management strategies. |
| Level of Client Insight | Aims to foster deep self-awareness and insight into emotional and relational patterns and layering. | Encourages self-awareness, but primarily focuses on managing and altering problematic thoughts and behaviors. |
| Adaptability to Change | Recognizes that change can be slow and requires emotional processing and integration. | Aims for quicker behavioral or cognitive changes through goal-oriented techniques. |
| View of Problem Resolution | Client struggles are seen as complex and multi-layered, often requiring continuous exploration. | Problems are viewed as specific, solvable issues that can be addressed with clear interventions. |
| Suited For | Those seeking deep emotional and psychological transformation that is long-lasting. | Individuals looking for practical, quick relief from specific symptoms. A reapplication may be necessary in the future. |
| Research-Based | Focused on subjective experiences, dynamic systems, body-centered awareness, and attention to signals. Emerging research in somatic and relational fields in treating anxiety, depression, PTSD, Acute Stress Disorder stemming from relational issues. | Extensive research supporting symptom reduction in anxiety, depression, PTSD |
Why Process-Oriented Therapy is a Long-Term Investment in Personal Growth
At first glance, Process-Oriented Therapy might seem like a more time-consuming and costly approach compared to shorter, symptom-focused therapies like CBT. However, for many individuals, it offers long-term benefits that make it a worthwhile investment.
- Deeper Self-Awareness through Process-Oriented Therapy
One of the core tenets of process work is that healing and change come from having more awareness of the subtle, often unconscious, processes and beliefs that shape our thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. These processes are not always accessible through more structured, short-term therapies. Over time, Process-Oriented Therapy helps individuals understand the root causes of their struggles and the patterns that stem from them rather than merely addressing surface-level symptoms.
For example, CBT may help someone reduce anxiety by challenging negative thoughts, which makes it great for people who are currently anxious and want to reduce symptoms. CBT is reactive in nature, helping clients solve something once it occurs and is in their consciousness.
Process-Oriented Therapy will look at the deeper fears or unresolved issues that fuel the anxiety in the first place, working to resolve these deeper fears so that anxiety does not show up in the first place. Process-Oriented therapy is proactive by helping the client not have a symptom altogether by making changes to the unconscious. By bringing these underlying factors into awareness, clients can experience longer-lasting change that endures beyond one specific problem or issue. Process changes are linked to many life experiences and, therefore, a person’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors as one moves through these events.
- Addressing the Whole Person through Process-Oriented Therapy
Process-Oriented Therapy doesn’t separate the mind from the body or emotions. Instead, it encourages clients to see themselves as whole beings, where every sensation, thought, or dream carries meaning. This integrative approach is particularly beneficial for individuals with trauma, chronic illness, or complex emotional issues, as it allows for a deeper understanding of how psychological issues manifest in the body.
involves exploring not just the immediate symptoms a client presents but the underlying emotional, relational, and unconscious patterns driving those symptoms. In contrast to behavioral approaches that focus on surface-level changes, process-oriented therapy digs deeper into the client’s entire lived experience. For example, a client might come to therapy feeling anxious about public speaking. In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), the focus would be on addressing the anxiety through strategies like cognitive restructuring or exposure therapy. While this can be effective, it may only address the anxiety on a surface level.
In process-oriented therapy, the therapist would explore the client’s broader history, such as how their early relationships or experiences of feeling unseen or unheard might contribute to their fear of public speaking. This could lead to discussions about childhood experiences of being criticized or silenced, which have shaped the client’s self-concept and emotional responses. Additionally, the therapist might explore body sensations, dreams, or recurring relational patterns that reflect deeper emotional wounds. This approach seeks to integrate all aspects of the person—their cognitive, emotional, physical, and unconscious experiences—into the healing process, providing a more comprehensive and transformative outcome over time.
Rather than focusing solely on changing behaviors or thoughts, process-oriented therapy seeks to foster a deeper understanding of the self, creating a lasting shift in the client’s emotional and relational landscape. For instance, a client dealing with relationship conflicts might come to recognize how unresolved grief or past trauma shapes their current interactions, allowing for more authentic connections once they work through these deeper issues.
- Long-Lasting Results
While behavioral therapies like CBT can be effective in the short term, many clients find that their symptoms return once therapy has ended, especially if the root cause of the issue was not fully addressed. In contrast, Process-Oriented Therapy fosters a deep transformation that results in lasting personal growth. By exploring unconscious processes and becoming more attuned to inner signals, clients are better equipped to handle future challenges on their own.
- Healing Relationships
Attachment theory plays a significant role in Process-Oriented Therapy, as the therapeutic process often involves exploring how early attachment patterns influence current relationships. By gaining insight into attachment styles and relational patterns, clients can foster more secure, healthy connections with others. This is particularly important for those who struggle with intimacy, trust, or communication in relationships.
- Tailored to the Individual
Process-Oriented Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Each session is tailored to the individual’s unique experiences, emotions, and needs. The therapist may work with dreams, body sensations, relationship dynamics, or other unconscious processes, depending on what arises in the moment. This flexibility allows for a more personalized, in-depth exploration than many other therapy methods.
Why Invest in Long-Term Therapy?
While Process-Oriented Therapy may take longer to complete, its benefits are profound and enduring. While shorter-term therapies are certainly effective in reducing symptoms quickly, they often fail to address the deeper causes of psychological distress, resulting in similar issues reoccurring for the person. Although some people can have longer-lasting effects from shorter term therapies, such as CBT or DBT, many are in a maintenance phase where they have to apply certain tools if symptoms arise.
Long-term, process-oriented therapy gets to the root cause and helps to heal or shift. Long-term therapy ultimately makes it so that you’re not experiencing the issue you’d need skills for from the behavioral type therapies. Investing in long-term therapy allows clients to experience true transformation by understanding themselves deeper, and healing from the inside out.
What to Expect in a Process-Oriented, Longer-Term Therapeutic Relationship
- Exploring Feelings in the Moment – Instead of just talking about problems, the therapist helps the person focus on how they feel right now. For example, “Where do you feel this anxiety in your body?” or “What thoughts come up when you feel this way?”
- Looking at Patterns – The therapist helps the person notice repeating behaviors or emotional patterns in their life. They might say, “It seems like you feel this way in many relationships. Let’s explore why that happens.”
- The client will bring current issues into the therapy room, and the therapist will guide them to be able to recognize all of the different parts and layers at play in that issue: thoughts, feelings, beliefs, dynamics, memories, actions, traumas, etc.
- Unpacking Early Experiences – The therapist encourages the person to talk about past experiences, especially from childhood, that may be affecting them today. For example, “What was it like growing up in your family? How did you deal with emotions then?” Or, “This seems to be something you often experience in different contexts. Does that have meaning to it for you?”
- Working with Dreams and Imagery – Sometimes, the therapist may ask the person to describe a dream or use their imagination to explore what’s going on deep inside. For example, “If it’s difficult for you to label the emotion, can you describe what it looks like or can you give me an image of the emotion that comes up in your head?”
- Noticing Body Sensations—The therapist might ask the person to pay attention to their body, as physical feelings often reflect emotional states. For instance, “What do you notice in your body when you talk about this? Is there tension or a sensation you can describe?” Or, “I noticed as you spoke about your boss, you became more rigid in your movement, and you seem tense, almost scared. Is this right?”
- Relational Work – Instead of focusing only on the problem, the therapist looks at how the person interacts with others, including the therapist. For example, “How do you feel when you say that to me? Does this remind you of how you talk to people in your life?” Or, I noticed your tone of voice got different toward me when you were speaking about your mother. I’m wondering if you were speaking to her in that moment rather than me?” Or, “I often experience you as more passive in our relationship. Does this feel correct to you? Do you tend to play a passive role in your other relationships?”
- Allowing Space for Uncertainty – In process-oriented therapy, it’s okay not to have all the answers right away. The therapist might encourage the person to sit with their confusion or discomfort and explore it, saying, “Let’s stay with that feeling and see what comes up next.” Or, “It’s okay you don’t know what it means. Can you pay attention to how often and in what contexts it shows up for you daily and come back next week to explore more?”
In short, these techniques help people dig below the surface to understand not just what they think or do but also why they feel the way they do and how those feelings are connected to their life experiences, beliefs, values, and relationships.
Key Benefits of Long-Term Therapy:
- Greater emotional resilience: By addressing the root causes of distress, clients develop emotional tools that last a lifetime.
- Improved relationships: Understanding attachment styles and relational dynamics leads to healthier, more fulfilling connections.
- Holistic healing: Integrating mind, body, and emotions provides a complete healing experience targeting all potential areas of distress.
- Sustainable growth: Long-term therapy results in more profound, enduring personal development compared to short-term interventions.
Is Process-Oriented Therapy Right for You?
If you’re seeking a therapy that goes beyond symptom relief and delves into the deeper layers of your experiences, Process-Oriented Therapy could be the right fit. It offers a transformative, long-term approach that addresses the root causes of emotional distress, helping you cultivate lasting change and personal growth. Moreover, process work puts you in the driver’s seat. Clients often feel empowered through understanding, which leads to change.
At The Better You Institute, we specialize in Process-Oriented Therapy, using attachment theory and other modalities to guide individuals toward healing. Whether you’re struggling with relationships, anxiety, trauma, or simply seeking a deeper understanding of yourself, our therapists are here to help.
If you’re ready to embark on a journey of self-discovery and transformation, we invite you to reach out and schedule an initial consultation. Let’s work together to unlock your potential for growth and lasting change.
