A theme that’s been arising in my work with clients and talking to other therapists and helpers; is the pattern of feeling worse before feeling better while we are healing. I remember learning how to tell clients this in graduate school and during my internship. It was something that I was taught to say and remind clients at the beginning of our therapeutic relationship. Most paperwork for therapists and sometimes other healers mentions this in ….read on; illumination awaits….
Tag: self care
Finding Yourself in Hard Times
Reading the news and having conversations with people in my life has inspired me to write this blog. When the larger society we are a part of is experiencing struggle, it can feel like the whole world is coming down around us. That is so difficult. What do we do? This blog is written for you, for me and for those who wish to enliven their love, compassion and highest good in this world. Within ….read on; illumination awaits….
When You Want to Hide Away: Receiving Support During Difficult Times
We all do it; have a hard time sharing with people when we’re truly having a hard time. It seems easier to hide away and lick your wounds in solitude, so no one knows exactly how human we are. I’ve noticed a trend. A lot of my clients will call and cancel or not show up when they are having a hard time. I know, it’s hard to share your pain with someone. It can ….read on; illumination awaits….
I’m Wounded, and That’s Okay: Empowerment Series #2
I was hiking today and no one was around. I was noticing my surroundings as I also noticed my thoughts. A thought came up about my attachment style. Recently, as I worked with my therapist, she used the term “ambivalent” attachment. Now, I know what that term means in my mind. I am trained in counseling and psychology. When I studied in school I gave higher or lesser values for the different attachment styles. I’ve ….read on; illumination awaits….
How to Slow Down and Prevent Re-Traumatization
I’ve had the experience, time and again, a client really wants to be heard. It happens in groups and one on one. Too often, in the rush to have their story heard, striving for community and connection, a client begins to tell a painful story. It often starts with little nervous system activation, but as the client gets more into detail their nervous system goes into flight, fight or freeze and, boom, they are somewhere ….read on; illumination awaits….
The Body’s Role in Empowerment
What is the body’s role in empowerment? I think to answer that question, we first have to define what empowerment is. Empower is a verb and from Merriam Webster’s dictionary, the definition is “to give official authority or legal power to or to promote the self-actualization of or influence of.” Given that definition, women’s empowerment is when we give power or authority to women or to ourselves and therefore our bodies. I remember the first ….read on; illumination awaits….