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What is the therapeutic process? It is a human situation extended in space and time in which two people integrate as productively interested participant-observers. The objectives of both are to identify, undermine and dissipate obstructive and destructive patterns of existence while concomitantly identifying, supporting, extending and expanding constructive patterns of living. These mutual objectives are to help make possible the patient's moving toward self-realizing, self-fulfilling or, simply stated, toward straighter or more rational growing.
Under patterns of existence I include all that we variously name as sick, unhealthy, destructive, irrational, pathological. Our focus this evening is on patterns of living inherent in which are all that we refer to as healthy, rational or constuctive. I would say that a person is becoming healthier as there is a shift from a predominance of irrational patterns of existence toward a predominance of rational patterns of living—i.e., when the direction of change in the therapeutic process and in life is away from irrationality toward greater rationality.
We say that the motive power behind these changes, which we seek out to rely on