What It’s Like to Be In Depth Psychotherapy?
Depth psychotherapy is different from many other kinds of therapy. It doesn’t focus on giving advice, solving surface problems, or changing behaviors directly. Instead, it invites you into a relationship where you are gently encouraged to slow down, explore what’s underneath your thoughts and feelings, and to discover the parts of yourself that may be hidden—even from you.
This work takes time. It takes trust. But for many people, it becomes one of the most meaningful journeys they’ll ever take.
A Slower, Deeper Kind of Listening
When you come to depth therapy, you might start by talking about what’s happening in your life: stress at work, difficulty in relationships, old feelings that keep coming back. Depth therapists aren't just listening to the content of your story. They’re also listening for what’s underneath—patterns, pauses, emotions that don’t quite have words yet.
You may find that your depth psychotherapist doesn’t jump in right away to give feedback. Instead, they’re holding space. They’re listening with their full attention. That kind of presence can feel unfamiliar at first. In the beginning it might feel uncomfortable for someone to really see you, without judgment or expectation. Over time, this deep listening helps you hear yourself more clearly, too.
As Donald Winnicott once said, “It is a joy to be hidden, and a disaster not to be found.” Depth psychotherapy is a space for the parts of you that you deem too embarrassing, too unsavory, or too [whatever word has kept them in hiding]. Something new emerges when those parts are witnessed. This is some of the magic of depth therapy.
Holding the Soul
In depth therapy, the therapist is not trying to fix you. They are holding space for your soul. Wondering, what the heck does that mean? It’s kind of hard to get a real sense of it unless you’ve experienced it. Stay with me, my intention is to bridge the gap a little bit.
“Soul” in this context isn’t about religion or belief. It’s about the part of you that feels, dreams, struggles, and longs for meaning. It’s the center of your experience—the part of you that knows when something feels off, even if you can’t explain why.
Sometimes, soul shows up as sadness, anxiety, or even boredom. It shows up in images, body sensations, or the feeling that “something’s missing.” A depth-oriented therapist holds all of this with care. They don’t try to rush you through it. They help you stay with it long enough for new insight, connection, or healing to emerge.
This process is subtle but powerful. You may find yourself saying things you didn’t expect, remembering things long forgotten, or simply feeling a sense of relief from being truly understood.
As C.G. Jung put it, “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” Depth psychotherapy is one of the few spaces where that process is gently nurtured, rather than coerced.
The Johari Window: What We Know, and What We Don’t
Depth psychotherapy often works with what’s known and unknown in our lives. One helpful way to imagine this is through the Johari Window. It’s a simple model, a window with four panes.
Open Self. What you know about yourself and share with others.
Hidden Self. What you know about yourself but keep private.
Blind Spot. What others can see about you, but you don’t see yourself.
Unknown Self. What no one knows yet—not even you.
In depth therapy, all four of these areas are welcome. You might start with what you know—what you can describe and feel ready to talk about. But over time, you may also begin to notice your blind spots. Maybe your depth therapist reflects something back to you, like a pattern in your relationships, or the way you minimize your own feelings. This isn’t about criticism. It’s about becoming more whole.
You may also begin to explore the unknown self. This can happen through silence, through images that arise in your mind, or through feelings that don’t make sense right away. A depth therapist helps you stay curious and open, even when things feel unclear. They don't have the answers you are seeking; but they do know how to guide you into the places in your psyche that do.
As Jungian Analyst Marion Woodman wrote, “We are constantly being invited to be who we are.” The Johari Window in depth psychotherapy becomes not just a model, but a living, breathing experience of that invitation.
What Sessions Feel Like
A typical session with a depth therapist might feel calm and spacious. You don’t have to perform, explain everything perfectly, or have a neat ending. You might begin by talking about something that happened during the week, or something that’s weighing on your heart. You might sit in silence for a few moments, waiting to see what arises. You might find you end up someplace completely surprising to yourself.
Your depth psychotherapist is not there to judge or diagnose you as a problem. They are there to walk alongside you—to witness, reflect, and help hold your experience with care. Over time, this can feel like a kind of companionship with yourself, too. You start to see patterns, connect past experiences to present feelings, and move through stuck places with more understanding.
Trusting the Process
Because this work is not goal-driven in the traditional sense, it can feel unfamiliar at first. You might wonder, “Am I doing this right?” But depth therapy isn’t about doing—it’s about being. The process itself is the point.
Sometimes people begin to notice small shifts. Perhaps they feel less anxious in situations that used to overwhelm them, or they respond to conflict differently. They may not even be sure what’s changed—only that something inside feels more grounded, more aligned. These shifts often come from the inside out. They don’t involve forcing change but from understanding yourself more deeply.
If you've ever done step work with a sponsor in a 12-step program, you may have some experience with this process. It's not a linear problem-solving approach. It's not prescriptive, "do this behavior and you'll receive this outcome." Instead it’s more like: Follow these steps, take the next indicated action, and a previously unimagined change happens.
As Jung reminded us, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” Depth therapy helps shine a light inward, one gentle session at a time.
Why This Kind of Therapy Matters
Our felt experience in the world often involves pressure to be efficient, productive, and upbeat. Depth psychotherapy offers a rare space to be real. It invites you to slow down, to question old stories, and to listen to the quieter voices within. It’s not always comfortable. But it’s honest. And in that honesty, there’s space for transformation.
You don’t need to know everything about yourself to begin. You don’t need to have a clear goal. All you need is the willingness to be curious. To consider it possible to let someone walk with you as you explore the deeper layers of your self.
A Space to Be Fully Seen
Depth therapy isn’t about fixing—it’s about holding. Holding the questions, the contradictions, the wounds, and the wonder. It’s about making room for your whole self to be seen and heard. And often, that’s where healing begins.
Have you been longing for a space where you don’t have to pretend? Where you can be and discover what’s true for you? If so, talking to a depth psychotherapist could be a great first step.
Find Support With Depth Psychotherapy in Pasadena, CA
Are you struggling to understand why certain patterns seem to haunt your life? Depth psychotherapy can help you access the deeper parts of yourself often overlooked in talk therapy alone. With the help of Rezak Therapy, you can move into a more intentional and meaningful life. Follow these three simple steps to get started:
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to see if Depth Therapy is right for you.
Begin meeting with a skilled depth therapist.
Start the journey home to your Self.
Other Services Offered at Rezak Therapy in Pasadena, CA
At Rezak Therapy, we're here to help you align with your most authentic self. In addition to learning more about your deepest self in depth therapy, our holistic therapy approaches also include somatic therapy. We offer individual therapy for those suffering from relationship issues, couples therapy for partnerships wanting help building intimacy in their relationships, and a Women’s Intimacy Group which is sacred circle for women to grow together in community. For more on depth psychotherapy and our other services check out our blog.
