The Gift of Being Human

THE GIFT OF BEING HUMAN

The fact that you and I were born is a miracle. The chances of existence are “1 in 10^2,685,000” (Spector, 2022). Isn’t that an interesting concept to think about? Somehow along the way, a woman gave life to you and I. What a gift to be given, life.

Life is a gift to experience. We are given this opportunity to enjoy, appreciate and feel all that this life has to offer. The gift of being human. We cry, laugh, smile, and love. Each emotion we experience wouldn’t be if another didn’t exist. We would never feel joy if we never felt sadness. We wouldn’t appreciate others as much if we didn’t experience grief. The dynamics of our emotions work to provide authentic connection to ourselves, to others, and to this world.

As we think of the beauty of life, we cannot forget the darkness that may come along with it.

The sadness, the hopelessness, and the loneliness all come with being human. As I think of these dark times, there is one that comes to mind and that is death. The absolute for everyone who has been born is to experience death. That doesn’t make the grief and sadness of losing someone we love any easier. It is messy, chaotic, exhausting, tiring. During this time, we mourn and grieve. We experience denial, anger, bargaining and depression during the early stages of grief. Then we begin to accept and hope and process that grief. With all of these hard emotions,we also begin to experience gratefulness, appreciation, community, love and remembrance. We celebrate the life we knew.

We continue traditions, go to their favorite places, look at old pictures, think of how they added value to our lives, and truly appreciate their presence in our life. We appreciate the gift of existing with them in this world. How incredibly special and lucky we are to have existed with them and experienced this gift of being with them. Without sadness, we wouldn’t experience joy.

As the year begins to come to an end, we experience such different emotions.

Some people experience loneliness due to the holiday. Others experience togetherness, others gratitude, joy, depression, hopelessness, and emptiness. When we feel lonely or even feel empty, it is typically because we know the joy it brings when we are with others that we love. And, the connection it brings when we are in a room full of people who care about us.

That loneliness and feelings of being empty couldn’t exist if we never experienced that joy. When we begin to process and grieve the changes of lives, we begin to experience that joy and gratitude again because we knew what it felt like to be lonely.

The human experience is an experience that brings everything, from hurt to love. We can’t have darkness without light. The gift of being human.

Begin Working With A Bozeman Therapist

Life may be a gift, but it can still feel difficult to cope with the darker parts of the human experience. Our team of caring therapists would be honored to offer support from our Bozeman, MT-based practice. To start working towards your goals or mental health, please follow these simple steps:

1. Make an appointment online

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

3. Start addressing the issues that matter to you most!

Other Services Offered at our Bozeman, MT Practice

We know there are a number of things that you may seek support for in addition to coaching and counseling. 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. Feel free to visit our blog to learn more!

Sources Cited:

Spector, D. (n.d.). The odds of you being alive are incredibly small. Business Insider. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/infographic-the-odds-of-being-alive-2012-6

Coaching versus Counseling...

COACHING VERSUS COUNSELING -

WHICH ONE IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

When you hear the word “coaching,” what do you think about it? As an athlete, when I first hear the word “coaching” I immediately think about training for some physical goal I might have. There has been a lot of buzz about coaching in the mental health world and it seems important that we take a deeper dive into what coaching means, and how it looks different than counseling. 

Coaching is often referred to as “life coaching,” which is an umbrella term for all things coaching. There are many different types of coaching including business coaching, couples coaching, wellness coaching, and performance coaching to name a few. There are a few things that stand out when differentiating between coaching and counseling.

Time Frame

Coaching is generally more designed to meet a specific goal one might have. For example, if your goal is to create a healthier, more balanced lifestyle, you may want to explore wellness coaching to help achieve that goal. The time frame on this is generally more specific, whereas in counseling, the commitment to the work can sometimes be dependent on the therapeutic approach one might take and the goals of the client. Time commitment is usually laid out early on in the coaching relationship with specific goals along the way. 

Performance vs. Emotion

Coaching generally addresses a bit of the emotional aspects that may be barriers to achieving your goal, however, if there are certain issues that come up with trauma or mental health, a coach will often refer the individual to also work with a licensed counselor. Performance or meeting a specific goal lends to deciding to commit to coaching over counseling. While emotions may show up, coaching works on identifying barriers and implementing systems to help one achieve that goal. Counseling focuses on the emotions that people experience and ways in which one can become aware of these emotions and regulate them. 

Relationship with Coach/Counselor

The relationship one has with both the counselor and the coach is important. Both require building rapport and trust. In general, a coach might feel a bit more inclined to share more personal information than a counselor might. 

Future Work vs. Past Work

We often consider counseling as a way to process past trauma and experiences and focus on the here and now. In general, it is less focused on what the future might look like. Coaching, on the other hand, looks at a future goal and identifies and implements tools to help one achieve that goal. There is not a lot of focus on past experiences or ways of being, but a drive to support one in achieving a specific goal or goals that have been put into place. 

There is a place for both coaching and counseling in life depending on what you might be needed at the time and what goals you might have. This is something we can assess when you contact our practice and we take a look at what your needs and goals are. We are excited to begin providing the addition of coaching to Bridger Peaks Counseling starting in January of 2023. We are happy to support this community and recognize that there is a need to add coaching to the services we provide.

Begin Counseling in Bozeman

Searching for the right services that work best for you can be a long journey. But, taking the time to find the right support will make all the difference in the advantages counseling and coaching have to offer. Our team of caring therapists would be honored to offer support from our Bozeman, MT-based practice. To start working towards your goals or mental health, please follow these simple steps:

1. Make an appointment online

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

3. Start addressing the issues that matter to you most!

Other Services Offered at our Bozeman, MT Practice

We know there are a number of things that you may seek support for in addition to coaching and counseling. 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. Feel free to visit our blog to learn more!