Redecision Therapy

Redecision Therapy was developed in 1965 by Bob Goulding, M.D., and Mary Goulding, MSW. It is a combination of Transactional Analysis, Cognitive Therapy, body work, and Gestalt Therapy. This process is a powerful way of resolving family of origin issues, as well as internal conflicts. It is ideal for both short and long-term therapy.

Redecision Therapy is grounded in the assumption that adults make decisions based on messages absorbed in childhood from parents and caretakers. As children grow up, they are given positive and negative messages by their caretakers and society. Based on these messages, they make decisions about themselves and others that will influence them throughout their lives. These beliefs, and resulting decisions were necessary for children to survive in their families; but as adults, these negative decisions are no longer useful and become hindrances to getting what they want. In fact, they may be at the root of self-defeating patterns in their lives.

In Redecision Therapy, individuals can examine these messages and any past negative decisions in order to identify what is not working. In therapy, people may be able to adopt new meanings and extinguish self-defeating decision-making patterns through the use of reflective exploration and experiential techniques.