Courage Quote by Thomas Lewis
““The limbic connectedness of a working psychotherapy requires uncommon courage. A patient asks to surrender the life he knows and to enter and emotional world he has never seen; he offers himself up to be changed in ways he can't possibly envision. As his assurance of successful transmutation he has only the gossamer of faith. At the journey's end, he will no longer be who he was, and his guide is someone he has every reason to mistrust...only human love keeps this from being the act of two madmen. (190)””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Healing Power of Psychotherapy, 190
Therapy demands patients surrender familiar identity, trusting a guide they may distrust, using love to avoid mutual madness.
In simple terms: Therapy is a risky, transformative trust exercise.
Key Takeaway
Trust the process despite fear.
Themes
psychotherapy
trust
transformation
love
courage
Mood
reflective
cautious
Type
therapeutic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- starting therapy
- deep emotional work
- breaking old patterns
Key Concepts
identity shift
therapeutic alliance
faith in change
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to trust a therapist?
- How can love protect against mutual self‑destruction?
A Different Perspective
The guide may be unreliable, risking harm.
