THE PARALLEL PROCESS OF CLIENT & CLINICIAN
Understanding my identity as a counselor has been, and continues to be, a beautifully paradoxical process for me.
I sit with people helping them find both the skills to cope with distress in their life as well as perspectives that refocus on their own strengths and goodness amid their struggles. I observe it is often easier for my clients to imagine empathetic and kind responses for others they care about than it is for themselves.
Envisioning comforting a child when they are afraid, seeing the ways a close friend’s anger is justified, or holding space for the sadness of a partner can seem simple. However, the fear, anger, and sadness within the client's experience are often criticized and dismissed by themselves. And though I am confronted with this paradox so clearly, I still find myself quick to judge my own emotions.
It is humbling, and I think endlessly valuable, to know I am still very much on parallel journeys with my clients.
There is no amount of schooling, knowledge, or training that can protect me from the experience of being human. And so, I too am learning how to greet my emotions as reasonable, wise, and helpful pieces of myself.
When I am able to compassionately embrace my emotions, there is a profound shift. I move from rigid and anxious spaces to more internal freedom and confidence. It is a daily practice for me to work on this way of being. It feels worth noting that it is often my clients who inspire me to continue doing the work. I have the unique privilege of witnessing people confront pain, fear, or heartache and choose to walk through it.
More often than not, in the words of poet Galway Kinnell, they rediscover their own loveliness along the way.
In this process, I find encouragement for the ways the human experience has so much potential for joy and beauty. If you are a client reading this I want to know that the work you do in sessions is likely more meaningful to your therapist than you might know. The courage to show up and risk being seen and embrace your process is a precious gift you give.
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Our team of caring therapists would be honored to support you in your therapy journey. Therapy in Bozeman, MT can offer new skills to address the mental health concerns that affect you most. To start therapy with Bridger Peaks Counseling, please follow these simple steps:
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Other Services Offered at our Bozeman, MT Practice
Our team understands you may struggle with more than one mental health concern at a time. This is why we are happy to offer a variety of services including 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!
