Many people have the experience of feeling like acting out a movie script they didn't write. It’s as if you can see the next scene coming, but you’re powerless to change the dialogue as the words come tumbling out of your mouth. Again. It can be frustrating and make you wonder if you actually have any say in your own life, or if you’re just an actor in your own skin. Current science tells us that this is not actually unsurprising when we consider there is a possibility we have no free will [1,3].
Philosophers and scientists have debated this for centuries. It is now widely accepted that our upbringing, biological factors, and environment play a major role in our present [2]. But this belief is a double-edged sword: while it protects us from the guilt of our failures - knowing we could not have done anything differently - it can also rob us of our vitality [4]. It is because there is something very human about the experience of making a decision. If we believe we have no choice, we then have to deal with the task of forgiving our biology, history and our parents, for our present.
In therapy, as in life, the belief in the possibility of change and growth can play a major part in psychological well-being [5]. In the therapy space, we get the opportunity to understand the forces that shape our reactions. When we recognise the template of the past as it is happening in the present with greater self-awareness, we can start seeing the 'why' behind the 'what'. It is part of the process of feeling we are capable of navigating our unique experience, moving from the autopilot of our past to the choice of the present.
References
[1] Libet, B. (1985). Unconscious cerebral initiative and the role of conscious will in voluntary action. The Behavioral and Brain Sciences. (Updated perspectives in Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2024).
[2] Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2025). Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness. Guilford Press.
[3] University of Surrey. (2025). The neurobiology of habit: Longitudinal analysis of "autopilot" behaviours in daily life. Psychology & Health.
[4] Vohs, K. D., & Schooler, J. W. (2026). The value of believing in free will: Encouraging a belief in determinism increases impulsive behavior and diminishes self-regulation. Frontiers in Psychology.
[5] Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential Psychotherapy. Basic Books.