Some five years ago, I blogged about Tenses, claiming that while we should enjoy the present, we should also value our experiences and enjoy our plans for the future.
Lately, I have dedicated much time to learning more about different psychotherapeutic approaches and how they approach time—how they help us process the past, engage with the present, and prepare for the future. What’s the commonality between all psychotherapies? And how do Tenses relate to them?
Humans have constructed these three mind-made concepts—past, present, and future—and our well-being depends on how we navigate them. Psychotherapies provide structured ways to engage with these dimensions of time:
- Psychoanalysis: Focuses on the past and how it influences the present (unconscious conflicts, childhood experiences, repressed emotions).
- Gestalt Therapy: Emphasizes the present moment, awareness, and personal responsibility (the “here and now”).
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Works on the present but is also future-oriented, aiming to develop skills and strategies for changing thoughts and behaviors to improve future outcomes.
Despite their differences, all psychotherapies guide us toward greater self-awareness, emotional processing, and personal growth by helping us navigate our experiences across time.
But, what makes the present so powerful, and why is it an important aspect of any psychotherapy?
The present is the only space where change can occur. While the past shapes us and the future motivates us, real transformation happens in the now—through awareness, choice, and action. Every insight, breakthrough, and healing process unfolds in the present moment.
bor0's reflective blog 
I really enjoyed this observation. Despite studying – like you, it seems – these three theraputic approaches simultaneously, I never made the insight that they parallel the tenses of past, present, and future.
Now I want to think about other psychological outlooks and see how tenses apply!
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