Parsimonious Therapy- keeping it simple.

When you begin attending therapy sessions, you will probably have a lot going on in your head. You may feel an expectation to be clever or use big phrases. You may think that your therapist is the expert in “you” and that they will overwhelm you with complex knowledge. One tool in the box of an integrative therapist is simple or Parsimonious therapy.

Parsimony comes from the Latin word parser, meaning "to be sparing." You might associate it with being frugal, or miserly, or you might never have heard the word before. Being frugal in a psychotherapeutic sense, can simply mean working at the most obvious level of therapy or communication, rather than employing complex theories and models in a session.

The brain is incredibly complex and we do not always need to complicate our understanding of it further than is required. In a therapeutic setting it parsimonious therapy can mean trying to keep terms simple, brief, and free of unexplained assumptions. This helps both the client and therapist know that they understand the terms that are being used, and it keeps unnecessary confusion, anxiety and complication out of therapy sessions.

Sometimes the best therapeutic solution is one that fits the description of being parsimonious. It contains the least amount of steps, as well as the most satisfying and obvious conclusion, all with minimal effort required.

So, whilst it is true that your therapy may sometimes require work at a deeper level, it can be reassuring to know that your therapy is one that is flexible and tailored to your needs.