07/27/2026
The problem of the week vs. the core belief that’s fuelling it.
Let me explain.
One thing I’ve been doing as a therapist for so long that I can’t untrain myself from doing it is filtering whatever story a client is telling me through the lens of: what’s underneath this?
The problem of the week matters - In fact, it’s often our entry point.
The fight with your partner, the comment your mom made, the mistake at work, the fact that someone is upset with you and you immediately feel responsible for fixing it.
While you’re telling me the story, part of my brain is listening for something deeper:
What does this situation seem to mean about you, other people, or the world?
Because very different problems often lead us back to the same places:
I’m not good enough.
I’m responsible for how other adults feel.
If someone is upset with me, I’ve done something wrong.
If I don’t stay in control, something bad will happen.
My needs are too much.
I can’t rely on other people.
…and this is where therapy gets really interesting.
If every session is spent putting out the fire of the week, we can miss the belief that keeps showing up underneath completely different situations.
The problem of the week gets us in the door. The belief underneath it is often where the deeper work lives.
As an EMDR therapist, this is a core part of case conceptualization, and where I think it’s most useful for us to spend our time.
Do you agree?
