I don't believe that cartharsis requires abreaction always. Good therapy doesn't take you so fast that the pulling out of information and changing of thoughts and remembrances of well, memories that it causes abreaction, imo. Some therapy does that, but not all.

The slow, mindful process of learning who we are now, and why we are who we are, and then moving towards who we wish to be, through therapy is cathartic once realization that you are no longer "that" person occurs.

God, in all His wisdom, leads us gently. We are compared to sheep. We can still be dumb, act dumb, but as long as we follow the shepherd, we will get home.