In the sixties and seventies catharsis was very important in somatic therapies, it was like a crown on the work. But is it??
No, it is not. It is not the final objective of therapy, not at all.
It may be a door to integration but that depends on many things.
The most important thing is that the client is ready for the cathartic experience, if that is so, it will come as a natural flowing expression from the client.
When catharsis is provoked by pressure of the therapist or the group it seems to be something intense and the client will maybe feel released for a little while and then it will disappear because he or she was not ready. Waste of energy and often re-traumatizing the client.
The important part of the catharsis is the aftermath, the silence where the dust settles down. This silence is different from meditation where we focus on centering.
If the catharsis was true then it opens a door and here we can make the first step into the unknown. The unconscious where the repressed emotions waited for maybe a lifetime to be revealed.
Here many insight can pop up, you can integrate and you do not feel the need to express the same emotion over and over again.
But like I said, many cathartic explosions are only showing off, most of the time unconsciously but not always, so be aware.
If you can focus during the catharsis and there is a deep silence afterwards where you can start to explore you emotional cellar.
Well, so good for you.
