Deciding Whether You Need to be in Psychotherapy While Doing STJ

Self-Therapy Journey is very helpful as an adjunct to psychotherapy or personal coaching. You can use it along with your current course of therapy or coaching. Or you can use Self-Therapy Journey on your own.

If you aren't sure whether it is right for you to use Self-Therapy Journey without being in therapy, here are some considerations:

Should You Use Self-Therapy Journey at All?

Some of the material in Self-Therapy Journey involves exploration of the origins of your patterns and emotional wounds in childhood. Painful and debilitating feelings can come up when exploring wounds. Working with such wounds might trigger intense emotions which can sometimes be overwhelming. Some people have so much pain and trauma in their background that this section would be too upsetting for them.

Self-Therapy Journey is not appropriate for everyone. It may not be appropriate for you if:
  • You are severely depressed.
  • You are feeling suicidal.
  • You have a history of trauma.
  • You have been hospitalized for mental illness.
  • You require medical treatment.
  • You have a history of violent acts.
  • You are feeling like harming someone.
  • You do not feel emotionally stable.
Each individual is different. Even if you meet the criteria above, this material might not be appropriate for you because of your personal condition or life circumstances. It might be OK for you to use STJ under the guidance of a therapist, or maybe you should only work on your issues in therapy sessions.

Should You Use STJ with a Therapist?

Even if it wouldn't be safe to use STJ on your own, It might be OK to use STJ if you are working with a therapist. If difficult emotional material comes up while using STJ, you can process it in your next therapy session. And you can use your therapist for support if you get into emotional trouble. If you can tolerate what comes up until your next session, then it may work to use STJ with the support of a therapist.

And many people can use STJ on their own with no professional support at all.

Help in Deciding

If you are unsure about whether it is right for you to use STJ and under what circumstances, we recommend that you consult with your therapist or one of our Therapist Guides on this.

I (Jay Earley) am available to consult on this (I'm on the list of Therapist Guides). I have created a questionnaire for people who want to be evaluated in order to get an access code for working on their emotional wounds. You can take this questionnaire, which might help you decide.