The next really important thing is to find out why it has not disappeared . It is always worth remembering that problems of all sorts have arisen through the ages. Psychotherapists are inclined to forget that people survived the most appalling traumas through all the history of mankind before the science of psychotherapy arose in the last century. The only differences between us lies in the age at which we grow out of it. Most people are nervous in front of an audience at some age, but most who have to address an audience frequently usually overcome the fear naturally.
Most people experience grief at a bereavement.
I am suggesting that the norm is that people do overcome problems one way or other. So it is really important to find out why, in a particular client, the problem continues to be a problem. I will formalise this as a tool for thought. To remind yourself of this important point the following is a very important question to ask, for that reason and others as well. The most common reasons for a problem to continue are the following.