Feel better Quote by Sheldon B. Kopp
“And so, it is not astonishing that, though the patient enters therapy insisting that he wants to change, more often than not, what he really wants is to remain the same and to get the therapist to make him feel better. (4)”
About This Quote
Source Book: Psychotherapy and the Human Condition, 1996
Patients often seek therapy to maintain their current identity, using the therapeutic relationship for comfort rather than change.
In simple terms: Therapy may reinforce sameness instead of transformation.
Key Takeaway
Recognize hidden resistance to change.
Themes
psychotherapy
identity
resistance
Mood
reflective
cautious
Type
clinical
insightful
When to use this quote
- counseling sessions
- personal growth
- habit change
Key Concepts
self‑concept
therapeutic alliance
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the patient truly fear about changing?
- How can a therapist gently challenge the desire for sameness?
A Different Perspective
Change requires confronting deep‑seated self‑beliefs.
