What will this be like?
Years ago, when I was getting a Master’s Degree in Counseling, I wondered what it would be like to meet with clients on a regular basis and be part of their lives for a period of time. I have learned that the counseling space and time is holy ground! It is a place where people recreate themselves. Every client I have had the privilege to work with has taught me about their lives, the strength and resiliency of the human spirit and what the psychology of the mind is really all about.
Connection is our missing piece
Clients come with a variety of “issues” they are trying to work through. It takes some courage to make the first phone call to set up a counseling session. I know, because I have done my own counseling over the years. We ALL have “issues,” situations, memories, traumas, pain, loss, grief, betrayal and hurt. We all have to “experience” life; both the ups and the downs; the straightaways and the curves. We are all human and make mistakes, errors, fumbles and poor decisions. We all have times of sunshine, goodness, kindness, understanding and love. How we balance those different times in our lives is what we teach each other in counseling. How we move forward after “hitting a wall” is what we discuss in counseling. How we risk and love again is what we allow ourselves “to be curious about” in counseling.
My clients are my heroes.
Their authenticity awes me. The honesty with which they talk about their pain, disappointment, grief, etc., is heart wrenching and heartwarming. The ability I see in clients to be resilient, flexible and grow is remarkable and nothing short of miraculous.
It is such a blessing to watch people find their new normal, to grow in their spirit, to reclaim their lives, to forgive, to learn, to accept, to challenge themselves, to fall and get up, to validate themselves when no one else has or does, to revive, to quit bad habits, to embrace life and love again, to move forward, to rise above, to take the high road, to stand, to have a voice, to speak their story, to teach those around them, to make new families and friends, to discover parts of themselves never seen before, to be more, to choose more, to find worth, to give worth, to risk, to stop blaming, to choose life when they didn’t want to keep going, and to fly!!!
Counseling can change your life!
When people ask me why I want to listen to “peoples’ problems” I tell them that I don’t! I listen to peoples’ hearts and walk a road with them to better health, better living and a fuller, more meaningful life!