North Star Conversations Transcript: Curiosity as a Therapeutic Skill—Alan Levy, PhD

Brandon Gimbel (00:00)

The relational piece is more and more where I focus, understanding healing through that treatment relationship.

Alan Levy (00:10)

I will say that a lot of times people just feel like their life is empty, unsatisfying. And a lot of times people walk in without specific, "I need this to change." A lot of times it's much more a malaise. "I don't understand why I get so angry with my wife. She just sets me off." And rather than "let's find ways to stop you from feeling that way," it's "what happens to you when that occurs and how does that fit into your whole life leading up to that point?"

Brandon Gimbel (00:43)

And the hope would be that the two pieces, the idea of, "my problem is I get so angry with my wife," and "I'd like to be less angry with my wife." Part of that is exploring what is happening with your wife that is frustrating you so. Were there similar experiences before or did you find yourself feeling similarly in the past, however far back we go? And then the other piece is, as you understand that, well, are there things that we can learn that can help you in those moments?

Alan Levy (01:08)

Yes, and there's another point which is "let's try and understand what's going on with your wife." And how does that fit in with what we know about her life and your relationship that you might be able to understand that would be helpful to you? and of course to your, in this case, marriage. And these kinds of insights or awarenesses that arise from the therapy actually then becomes a way of navigating one's life going forward.

Brandon Gimbel (01:36)

It is very much a skill. It is the ability to be curious. You are able to engender that curiosity in the patient to then carry forward as the patient goes on and out into the world.