| Being honest is a basic requirement for psychological | | | | experiences. Or even the apparently non-important |
| health. However, what does it mean to be truly | | | | details for that matter. To do this, he or she must |
| honest? Being honest is not only about not lying | | | | lay down his or her emotional defenses. Emotional |
| outright. It is about setting aside one's psychological | | | | defenses come about because of painful experiences |
| defenses in order to be more truthful to self and | | | | in childhood. Learning to lay down these defenses is |
| others. | | | | very important because in adult interactions, one |
| How can we be more truthful to others? Well, first | | | | cannot function fully if he or she depends on the |
| of all, we can begin with self-awareness. When we | | | | defenses learned during childhood. The painful |
| interact with the world, sometimes we tend to | | | | experiences can be relived over and over again as a |
| forget about ourselves. So much happen outside us. | | | | result of unhealthy adaptation. |
| But more importantly, so much happen inside us too. | | | | Now, in therapy, you ought to face your pain. You |
| So, if you have not had much practice, begin to be | | | | do not run from it. You change it to something |
| more self aware now. In this way, you can truly | | | | helpful as well. However, we are inclined to keep |
| experience your inner self, and know what you really | | | | secrets. If our inner lives will be so caught up in these |
| think, feel and other psychological aspects of the self. | | | | secrets, the facts underlying personal problems can |
| Next, we need to learn how to be open. Expressing | | | | be so buried deep down that it would take a lot of |
| ourselves is not something with just anyone. We | | | | effort to uncover the truths that can help you move |
| need to learn to trust. So know people you can | | | | on with our life. Psychological secrecy is a sad truth. |
| trust-people who are trustworthy and morally integral. | | | | There are truths that simply put, we set these aside |
| To be truly honest, we can express, although not | | | | and hide these from ourselves. |
| every detail about us, but in such a way, that there | | | | This kind of secrecy can keep us in the dark, afraid |
| is no faking taking place. | | | | and helpless. By being more psychological honest, we |
| Now take note, in the context of a | | | | can have the chance to acknowledge the |
| psychotherapeutic setting, a client if he or she wants | | | | experiences we denied and truly move past these to |
| to be helped, then he or she really needs to reveal in | | | | a better future. |
| its wholeness the important points of his or her inner | | | | |