What is psychotherapy and how does it work? Everything that we are aware of is only one and smaller part of the psyche. The second part of it is not realized by us, i.e. it is unconscious, but has a strong influence on our actions, thoughts, feelings, since it is not amenable to conscious control and is not subject to volitional effort. A metaphor with an iceberg is appropriate here: we see only its tip (consciousness), and its main part is hidden under water (unconscious), and the movement of the iceberg is controlled not by the winds affecting the top, but by underwater currents influencing the underwater part. Therefore, we ourselves will not be able to recognize unconscious processes and will not be able to manage them. And the psychotherapist has the necessary knowledge and skills, and therefore knows how to notice and identify them. Unconscious processes come into conflict with conscious attitudes and are the essence of a person’s internal conflicts, manifested in relationships with others, in self-attitude and in the perception of events in the external environment. You and I will try to explore them, to make them conscious. And these unconscious thoughts, behavioral stereotypes and attitudes come from childhood and still influence us, since they originate in the child’s immature psyche, when everything is not perceived critically. In childhood, we react to people and events in a certain, unique way, in accordance with the characteristics of our temperament, the degree of mental maturity and the conditions of our immediate environment. This is how our character is formed, but not all behavioral stereotypes learned in childhood are effective for solving the life problems of an adult. It is important for us to see them and double-check - are they really suitable for you now? So, we see that relationships with other people are built according to a stereotype that develops in childhood in relationships with the main figures (parents, immediate circle, friends). Relationships with the basic facts of existence (the meaning of life, freedom, attitude towards loneliness and death) are also formed at a young age. With each new person we form relationships in the same way as we formed them with loved ones; we also react to each new life event according to a certain set of stereotypes. The psychotherapist is a new person for you. And all stereotypes of behavior and relationships will inevitably appear in the process of interaction between us, and we will be able to explore this, relive it, and change it. Irwin Yalom, a talented psychotherapist, speaks of psychotherapy as “the main rehearsal for life.” After all, it allows you to gain the experience of building close, trusting relationships, the experience of holistic acceptance of yourself and others, and then transfer this experience into life. In this way we learn to accept and love ourselves and live in harmony with ourselves and others.