In therapy, one of the most profound moments is when a client begins to catch glimpses of a life that could be different. They don’t have a fully formed vision yet, and neither do we, as therapists, but something starts to shift. A light begins to shine. The possibility of change moves from a distant, abstract idea to something they can feel, even if only briefly. This is the early emergence of a new psychological system.
You can see these glimpses when a Client says:
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"I feel sorry for myself. I lived a hard life."
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"It’s my time now."
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"I’m afraid to slip back."
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"I really want to remember this."
These are not dramatic turning points. They are small, tentative steps toward something new. They are a recognition that life doesn’t have to continue along the same old paths. It’s not yet clear what the new life will fully look like, but both therapist and client can sense its outline emerging. It’s a moment filled with both uncertainty and hope.
As a therapist, these are deeply meaningful moments. They reflect good work, careful, systematic therapeutic moves that help clients begin to step out of long-standing patterns. We are not simply offering support and hoping for insight to arrive. We are actively building the conditions that make such insights possible.
This is where Process-Based Behaviour Therapy (PBBT) offers something uniquely powerful. PBBT doesn’t leave these moments to chance. It provides a structured system for laying the psychological foundations that allow a new life to emerge. By targeting the specific processes that underlie psychological suffering and change, PBBT helps clients not only experience these glimmers but build upon them organically and naturally and in line with what feels right for them.
When a client says "I really want to remember this," we know that something has shifted. The beginnings of a new psychological system are taking hold, one where they no longer simply survive, but begin to build a life they deserve.
The emergence of a new psychological system is not a single moment but a process that can be guided, supported, and strengthened. And when done well, it opens the door to a world that clients begin to see, sometimes for the first time, as one they truly deserve.
Want to learn more?
Join us for an informational webinar on the Professional Diploma in Process-Based Behaviour Therapy (PBBT). You’ll learn how the programme equips therapists with a structured, clinical framework, along with practical tools, like metaphors, to support your therapeutic work.
Date: 16th June 2025
Time: 16:00 (Irish Time)
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/OIWsDRnUQwGsHbfLU6btCg