Curiosity killed the cat they say; but it is one of the most valuable tools is psychotherapy. being curious about your own process, being willing to dig deeper and uncover what lies underneath a given thought or feeling is the stuff that makes therapy work.
typically the superficial thoughts or feelings are the chatter that the mind keeps regurgitating. staying with that chatter without judgment or identification allows the deeper stuff to surface. this secondary process is more interesting than the superficial one. but often even the secondary process is something we have learnt or are conditioned to doing. as we examine and explore this, there is an opening for a more authentic core to emerge. what we really want or feel, that we rarely admit even to ourselves. acknowledging that especially in front of a non-judgmental witness frees us and makes manifestation of that possible, after examining our readiness for it of course. what pulls us towards this and what detracts us and where do we want to put our energy going forward.
all of this is only possible if we are willing to be open and curious about what is going on within.