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--- name: Psychotherapy slug: psychotherapy type: process status: running version: 4.2.1 released: "~400 BCE" maintainer: The Talking Cure Collective (distributed) dependencies: - trust - language - time - a-room-with-two-chairs license: BSD (Billable Session Duration) tags: - mental-health - repair - introspection - slow-software - human-interface ---
A scheduled conversation with a stranger you pay to care, designed to surface the parts of yourself that crash silently in the background.
The client arrives carrying a symptom or a vague sense that something is wrong with the runtime. The therapist does not fix the bug directly. Instead, they ask questions until the client locates the bug themselves, usually somewhere in childhood.
Core loop:
The mechanism is contested. Leading theories include: corrective emotional experience, cognitive restructuring, the simple fact of being heard by another person without immediate consequence.
session_length: 50min # "the therapeutic hour"
frequency: weekly # biweekly if things are going well or badly
modality: negotiable
couch: optional
eye_contact: encouraged_but_not_required
silence: permitted
phone: off
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
RESISTANCE_401 | Client not ready. Continue anyway. |
PROJECTION_403 | Feelings about someone else misdirected here. |
AVOIDANCE_408 | Session timeout: topic changed before contact was made. |
BREAKTHROUGH_200 | Rare. Archive immediately. Build on. |
STUCKNESS_503 | Normal. Adjust approach or wait. |
Does it work? Often. The research on CBT is robust. The research on meaning-making is harder to run but probably also yes.
How long does it take? Longer than you want. Shorter than leaving it untreated.
Is the therapist okay? They have their own therapist. That therapist also has a therapist. It is turtles all the way down.
What if I run out of things to say? You will not.
v4.2.1: Added telehealth support. Couch now optional.v3.0.0: Freudian layer deprecated in most production environments. Legacy support retained.v2.0.0: Introduced medication as optional dependency. Relationship remains complicated.v1.0.0: Aristotle ships catharsis. No follow-up care included.