lots of sense there alley.
I use a two pronged approach....
it can be useful to understand the past
it's absolutely required I be able to deal with the present
Behavior mod, counciling, looking at the past, looking at the present, not just understanding..but implementation....
mostly the past helps me to begin to see underneath my outside appearance to see whats going on inside...gives me a clearer picture of what my mind is doing so i can move forward when that mind is just plain looney tunes