What’s the difference between inquiry and therapy?
It is possible to give a simple and general answer, and yet there is a great variety in types of inquiry and therapies, and how they are applied. It all depends on the type of inquiry and therapy, where the facilitator/therapist is coming from, and where the client is coming from.
In essence, inquiry……. (a) Is about seeing what’s here. (b) Leaves no stone unturned. Any assumption, including the most basic ones, is material for inquiry. (c) Leaves the effects of the inquiry to life, to grace, including any healing or resolution that may happen. It also takes any assumptions about what is happening, or is supposed to happen, as material for inquiry. (d) Avoids analysis or advice. (e) Allows the client to find her or his own answers. (f) Comes from a trust in reality, and the wisdom of the client. The truth will set you free. And the client has access to her or his own answers.
And therapy may….. (a) Aim to invite in healing, or aim to “fix” the person. (d) Tends to rest on unquestioned assumptions. (c) May hold a certain outcome – healing, resolution etc. – more as a “goal”. (d) May analyze and give advice. (e) May offer answers to the client. (f) May have more or less trust in reality, and the wisdom of the client.
That said, some forms of therapy are more similar to inquiry, and can be applied as inquiry, including cognitive, humanistic and transpersonal therapy.
One approach is not inherently “better” than the other. They are both tools, have different uses and functions, and one may be more helpful in one situation and the other in another.
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– depends on type of inquiry and therapy, who is facilitating/therapying, and the client
– cognitive similar to inquiry f.ex.
– inquiry – see what’s here
— and from that, possibly healing, release, finding love for it, seeing through it etc.
— comes from a deep trust in reality, what is
— comes from questioning any assumption, leaving no stone unturned (in that direction, at least)
– therapy – often try to fix, change, advice,
— may come from distrust in reality
— may rest on unquestioned assumptions, sometimes heavy handed (in my experience)
— often don’t question basic assumptions (people, wounds, healing, right, wrong, world)
— many ways of doing it, of course, can be quite aligned with inquiry, all depending on who is doing it an his/her worldview
— may reinforce stories, or at least basic assumptions
What’s the difference between inquiry and therapy? It depends on who’s doing it, of course.
Any healing, release, finding love for what’s here etc. comes from seeing what’s here. And any ideas that healing and so on is a goal, or better, or desirable, is also material for inquiry.
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What’s the difference between inquiry and therapy? It depends on who’s doing it, although here are some main differences.
Inquiry is an invitation to see what’s here. It comes from a deep trust in reality. Built into inquiry is an invitation to question any assumptions we have, including our most basic ones, and our ideas about inquiry itself. (Any healing, release, finding love for what’s here etc. comes from seeing what’s here, and any ideas we have about these things are material for inquiry.)
Therapy depends on the tradition and who is doing it. Often, there is an aim to fix or heal. Analysis and advice giving may be included. And it may rest on several unquestioned assumptions about life, people, healing etc.
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draft……
What’s the difference between inquiry and therapy?
It depends on the type of inquiry and therapy, and where the facilitator/therapist and client is coming from. So it’s not so so easy to give an answer that’s both simple and covers the different possibilities.
In essence, inquiry……. (a) Is about seeing what’s here. (b) Leaves no stone unturned. Any assumption, including the most basic ones, is material for inquiry. (c) Leaves the effects of the inquiry to life, to grace, including any healing or resolution that may happen. It also takes any assumptions about what is happening, or is supposed to happen, as material for inquiry. (d) Avoids analysis or advice. (e) Allows the client to find her or his own answers.
And therapy may….. (a) Aim to invite in healing, or aim to “fix” the person. (d) Tends to rest on unquestioned assumptions. (c) May hold a certain outcome – healing, resolution etc. – more as a “goal”. (d) May analyze and give advice. (f) May offer answers to the client.
That said, some forms of therapy are more similar to inquiry, including cognitive therapy and possibly humanistic and transpersonal therapy.
It all depends on the modality, the facilitator/therapist, and the client.
And one approach is not inherently “better” than the other. They are tools, have different uses and functions, and one may be more helpful in one situation and the other in another.