Embracing Our Process – A Bozeman Counselor’s Perspective

One of my favorite quotes is: 

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” - Rainer Maria Rilke 

Pressure Along with Change

This quote was shared with me years ago and has continued to be a comfort as I’ve navigated different phases of life. With the seasons changing I can begin to feel pressure to be doing more and more, moving quicker and more decisively.  I feel it with my family and my clients. Even when I am out grocery shopping and waiting in line I feel it. I know that others are feeling the pressure too.

What To Do With The Emotions

Those feelings can manifest into depression, anxiety, self-critique, and an overall sense of exhaustion. However, I also see glimmers of love, encouragement, and hope. So, the question comes, what do we do with this mix of joy and grief, community and isolation? How do we find our way through it to the other side? And gosh, can we make it through as quickly and easily as possible? But somehow these questions seem only to add to the felt sense of pressure.

Be Patient With Yourself

Then I remember to be patient with ourselves. I remember that each one of us is in a process and as Rilke reminds us the point is to live everything. I remember that the process itself is as precious and valuable as what waits on the other side. And perhaps, the process is even necessary to grow in us what we need for the other side.

If you break off the cocoon around a butterfly, it will never fly. The butterfly needs to strain and struggle against its cocoon to build strength in its wings enough to fly. So, can we embrace the strains of this season, the grief and joy, the loneliness and commonness? 

Embrace For The strength of Your Mental Health

What a loaded question. Because to hold such space for ourselves can be exhausting, however, it also seems to be the deepest act of kindness we can do for ourselves. To help remind ourselves that exactly where we are is ok. That it is ok, and likely not possible to have all the answers that the pressure asks us to. That who we are, as we are, is maybe not only ok, but a beautiful testimony of what we have been through and the strength we have to keep moving forward. Where we are in the process is exactly where we need to be.

Final Thoughts From A Therapist in Bozeman, MT

So, my question becomes, how can we remind ourselves of that? And how can we care for ourselves as we are learning to embrace our processes? Those questions themselves are a step in the direction of self-compassion. Almost a refusal of the pressure that so easily sneaks in. Whether it looks like adjusting our self-talk, giving ourselves permission to ask for help, setting boundaries around our time and emotions, or doing things that help us feel good.

I hope as a community we can embrace our processes. And though we each are growing and being strained in unique ways; I hope that we can come together in learning how to let ourselves do so.

Ready to Start Individual Therapy in Bozeman, MT? We’re Ready for You!

You are an incredible individual and you deserve to embrace the joy and grief with support. Individual Therapy in Bozeman, MT can help with self-compassion, boundaries, or whatever process you need to embrace. Our team of caring therapists are here to help you at our Bozeman, MT Mental Health clinic. We want to make taking that next step simple. To start therapy with Bridger Peaks Counseling:

1. Make an appointment online, at your convenience

2. Meet with one of our professional Bozeman mental health therapists

3. Embrace your Process and live a life of joy

Our Mental Health Services, Workshops & Resources in Bozeman, MT

In our Bozeman, MT counseling clinic, we want to help you in whatever ways you are needing for your mental health. Our caring team of therapists and professional mental health staff are here for you and your loved ones. Visit us for addiction treatment, group counseling sessions, EMDR and Somatic Experiencing for trauma therapy, marriage counseling and couples therapy, postpartum depression and anxiety counseling, depression therapy, workshops, and more. We look forward to talking with you soon!

Looking for counseling in Bozeman, MT?

You’ve come to the right place! Our Bozeman counselors know that there are lots of mixed feelings about starting therapy. And we think that’s completely valid. In this blog post, we’ve discussed some reasons you may be apprehensive about reaching out to a therapist.

Apprehension to Start Counseling in Bozeman?

There are lots of reasons you may be hesitant to start meeting with a therapist. First of all, there’s still a stigma about mental health and getting support. This can certainly be a barrier in your path to starting counseling in Bozeman.

Second, you may not even know what you’re looking for from mental health services or a therapist. You just know that you’re struggling. On the other hand, maybe you’ve tried counseling before and you had a bad experience. It’s an unfortunate and disappointing, sometimes even traumatic experience when you’ve worked with unethical or invalidating therapists in the past. Again, there are a whole lot of reasons you may feel apprehensive about starting counseling.

Mental Health Stigma Can Hold You Back from Counseling in Bozeman, MT

We’ve come a long way in the past few decades regarding society’s beliefs about mental health and working with a therapist. However, there are still some individuals and communities that don’t understand the reality and importance of taking care of your mental health. If you come from a family or community against mental health support, you’re not alone.

In fact, about 75% of people participating in a survey reported feeling that overall, people are not caring and sympathetic toward individuals with mental illness. Perhaps you would consider yourself part of this 75%. If you’ve been surrounded by folks discounting your mental health struggles, it can be challenging to validate yourself and your experiences. Moving forward and finding support from a therapist can feel like a last resort or even a non-option.

You Might Not Know What You Need from Counseling

The reality is that you know you’re struggling. And it’s likely that you don’t know what’s wrong, but something just feels off. Maybe something has felt off for years, even decades. This is actually the case for a lot of folks who come into counseling!

You could need anxiety treatment?

Perhaps you’re struggling with anxiety. But if you don’t know it’s anxiety, you likely know it as being sensitive, overreactive, or stressed all the time (at least this is what people tell you that you are). Your loved ones probably tell you to “just relax,” but you can’t explain to them how impossible that is.

Body Image Therapy Might be Right for You

Maybe you’re dealing with body image issues. If you’ve just been “dealing with it” for long enough, it probably feels normal. Maybe you’ve just accepted that this is how life will be. Seeing something as a problem when it has become so normalized makes it hard to realize you need support.

Stress counseling might be the right fit for your Mental Health Needs

On the other hand, maybe you’ve developed some patterns or habits that you’re ready to break free from. You may not know exactly what’s not working, but you know something’s gotta change. Somewhere along the way, self-sabotaging behaviors started, keeping you from meeting your goals and dreams. It’s not that you want to keep going this way, but you just can’t stop the cycles.

Counseling in Bozeman can help you find what you need

There are many situations and struggles that can be reasons to start counseling. From depression and anxiety to postpartum support, trauma, and addiction struggles. Working with a Bozeman counselor can help you identify areas of your life that are causing you distress. Then, with ongoing counseling sessions, you can work through the tangles of how these have impacted you.

Poor Experiences with Therapists in the Past

Over our years in the mental health field, our Bozeman counselors have heard some pretty upsetting stories about our clients’ past experiences with therapy. Lots of folks have trauma from going through therapy as a child during a parent’s divorce, losing a loved one, or going through another traumatic event. So, it makes sense that folks with a history like this may have negative associations with counseling.

overcoming mental health struggles with a therapist

If therapy is something only used during dark times, why would you choose to put yourself through that? Could it actually be helpful? Or will a therapist just make you think about all your painful experiences? These are valid questions based on your unique history of working with therapists. We have a challenge to these questions though. If you don’t face the struggles holding you back, how will you ever overcome them?

Past Experiences with A Therapist

Perhaps you’ve had a bad experience with a counselor in your teenage or adult life. Maybe you finally opened up to someone and they questioned your story or invalidated your feelings. There’s a chance a therapist has made you actually feel worse about a situation instead of supporting you as they should have. Of course, going through situations like this can make you distrust therapists and mental health support.

Our Bozeman counselors know that these experiences are more common than they should be. It hurts us to know that folks have these bad encounters with therapists. And we want to be a healing space for you if you do decide to start counseling again.

Our Therapists in Bozeman, MT Understand

Our therapists believe that working through pain, challenging circumstances, and mental health struggles, instead of ignoring them or numbing them, is essential to living an authentic life. We know the damage that stigma, being invalidated about mental health struggles, and bad counseling experiences can cause. Our hope is that when you’re ready, you’ll think about seeking support. The therapists at our Bozeman, MT-based counseling practice will provide an open, welcoming space for you to process whatever you need. When you’re ready to get started with counseling, follow the steps below.

Start Counseling in Bozeman to Support Your Mental Health

At Bridger Peaks Counseling we are here to support your mental health through the dark times and good times. Even if you aren’t sure exactly what you need our Bozeman counselors can help. We understand your struggles and concerns with reaching out for counseling. We will guide you through the concerns and help you to start feeling better. Contact us to get started at our counseling practice based in Bozeman, MT today.

Types of Counseling in Bozeman, MT That We Offer

At Bridger Peaks Counseling in Bozeman, MT we offer many types of mental health services. Some of the individual services we provide include addiction counseling, anxiety counseling, grief counseling, body image therapy, depression counseling, trauma counseling, and EMDR therapy. Are you a new mom struggling with your mental health? Postpartum depression counseling might be the right answer for you. Needing help strengthening and setting boundaries in your relationship? Then our therapists might suggest couples counseling. Our services are not just for adults. We also provide counseling for teens. If one of these services sounds like exactly what you need then great! Contact us and let us know. If you aren’t quite sure then our dedicated counselors will help you decide what the best fit will be. All of these services are offered through online therapy in Montana.