One myth, stubbornly persistent in our culture, is that needing therapy means you have a mental illness.  In reality, most people seek out therapy for what I like to call emotional coaching. 

When feelings take center stage, when fear, or sadness, get in the way our of doing what we need to do, or being who we want to be, we’re in a state of imbalance. Emotional hygiene require we allow our feelings as they arise, but they cannot run rampant. 

Think of emotions as messengers. They are delivering information about your inner world.  However, the roadmap is occluded. This is because our feelings are influenced by any number of factors. Namely, our history, personal relationships, level of nutrition, quality of sleep, even the weather!  A holistic therapist serves as a translator between heart & mind.

We all need help sometimes just sorting through all our feelings. Understanding which are leading us to deeper truths and which are red herrings, or echos. Once an important feeling is identified, your translator can help “make sense” of the message.

The therapeutic relationship creates a safe space to process. This process is like a “reality test”, wherein we investigate the origin of our feelings, and examine our reactions to them. Herein, we do the important work of recognizing and decoding oppressive patterns.

Once we understand why we do what we do, we can break free from the unconscious trap of reactivity. A good therapist illuminates our path, by providing tools for greater mindfulness. Mindfulness is what we need to create a pause, between stimulus & response.

I believe it’s infinitely more satisfying, to be the conscious author of one's own life story, rather than an actor reading from an outdated script. Intraspection is the most important gift we can give ourselves.  Therapy does not have to be about what’s wrong, but about uncovering all that’s right. 

Done with courage and self-compassion, your therapeutic process will eliminate barriers between you, and a richer, more authentic life.