What Does Therapy Feel and Look Like? -A Glimpse into the Healing Power of Connection & Transformance-
- Yoshimi Shimizu
- Aug 18
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 24
What kind of images come to mind when you think of psychotherapy sessions?
You might imagine a quiet room, a couch, and someone asking, “How do you feel?”
Therapy can be much more than that. It can be a deeply moving, life-changing experience—especially when emotions that once felt too overwhelming begin to soften and shift in the presence of someone with whom you feel truly safe.
Often, we avoid certain emotions because we’ve learned—consciously or unconsciously—that feeling them leads nowhere. But in the right environment, when those emotions are gently welcomed and deeply felt together with another, something begins to change.
What once felt unbearable becomes more tolerable.
What was stuck starts to move.
In this kind of therapy, we don’t try to “fix” emotions. Instead, we stay with them—together—and trust their natural movement.
This is the heart of the therapeutic process I practice: AEDP® (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy).
At the center of AEDP® is a belief in the innate human capacity for healing and growth—what we call Transformance. Even when we are hurting, lost, or disconnected, this inner drive is still alive in us—often hidden, yet quietly seeking to come into contact.
When supported and accompanied with care, it begins to emerge.
We don’t rush, push, or force anything. We simply slow down and listen closely, moment by moment.
Together, we begin to notice what’s here now—and what’s trying to emerge.
What might begin to shift if you were gently accompanied in feeling what’s inside?
A Short Video Clip from a Demo Session
(This demo session was part of an AEDP® Psychotherapy training. The person in the client role is Mami Kimura, an actor based in New York, exploring a real emotional experience in a safe, structured setting.)
The video below is from a demonstration session.
Though it was recorded in a training context, the emotional process of both the therapist and the client roles is authentic. The feelings, the words, the silences—they all reflect something very real.
This session begins with a concern:
“I’m shy and have a hard time making friends.”
As the client, meeting the therapist for the first time, slowly begins to relax—
childhood memories of painful experiences begin to emerge.
Together, they explore those feelings.
Gradually, the belief of “Maybe it was all my fault…” starts to loosen.
And eventually, a quiet moment of self-acceptance arises—
“That’s okay as I am.”
My Approach to Therapy
As a therapist, I work experientially and relationally.
That means we don’t just talk about emotions—we invite them into the room.
Together, we create a safe space to slow down, feel, and explore what arises in the moment—at a pace that feels right for you.
Whether you're struggling with anxiety, shame, or a sense of isolation, healing becomes possible when your experience is met with compassion instead of judgment. That’s the heart of the work I do.
🎥 Watch the Clip
If you're curious about what therapy might feel like—or you’re simply longing for a space where you can be deeply seen—this video may give you a sense of what’s possible.
Thank you for watching and reading this.
If you're longing for a place to slow down, feel, and be met with care—therapy may offer just that.
You’re warmly invited to take a step inward, and I’d be honored to accompany you. Full-Length Session (Japanese only)
If you’re interested in watching the full-length version of this demo session (approx. 1 hour, in Japanese), it is available here:
Special thanks to Mami Kimura
This session was made possible thanks to the generous participation of actress Mami Kimura.
Even in an improvised setting, she allowed herself to feel and express deeply, and I learned so much through our interaction. I am deeply grateful.
If you’d like to learn more about Mami and her work as a performer, I highly recommend visiting her website: