People often come to therapy in moments when things feel hard or dark or they don’t feel like they can navigate their world in some way. Many times these same people used to feel confident about their ability to find their way until something changed. Maybe a resource that they once had access to is no longer available, or perhaps a loved one that they relied on for support can no longer provide support. Maybe their needs grew or a coping mechanism that used to work well is starting to work less well or even become harmful. Perhaps as they grew and changed they realized that their resources no longer met their needs. In these moments it can feel like being trapped in a dark cave. People tend to be very knowledgeable about how they got into their holes and what they’ve already tried to get themselves out. Many come to therapy hoping that someone will hop into the cave with them and carry them out or maybe tell them what they will find when they are out of their cave but that’s not what therapists do and if they try to do that without the expertise of the client they can waste resources or even cause harm. Therapists stand at the mouth of the cave and shine a light so the cave can be seen clearly. In the light one might notice some hazards or even resources couldn’t be identified in the dark. A person with training might be familiar with some of the features of similar caves, they might have even been in their own cave before all of which is helpful for navigating things efficiently. With this help a person might even decide that their cave is a safe place to stay for the time being, or they might choose to try to leave - this light can help one make an informed decision that is safe and sustainable. If one chooses to leave their cave, an experienced light holder can help a person safely navigate their cave and find way out, Therapy is a collaborative process that helps people to learn to navigate resource caves, and eventually generate their own light.