The reasons my clients come to therapy vary in magnitude and yet they all represent moments of courage in which someone decided life could be better with a little help. We all could use a little help from time to time and yet stigma around seeking it remains. Rather than stand out there is a desire to stay quiet and fit in; a desire to not point the spot light at ourselves.
Check your experience:
Where has not asking for help got you?
What are the payoffs and costs of doing it alone?
When you’ve stayed quiet to not stand out has it been helpful?
Has your current approach given you what you truly need?
So, this post, I want to honor all those who have had the courage to stand out and do something different. From the client who is learning to live a life not dictated by his/her childhood trauma, the person who is grieving after a miscarriage, the survivor who is healing from rape, to the individual who’s no longer allowing anger to control their life—these brave folks are the ones who have made the courageous decision to stand up to the pain and make a change.
All of their stories are worth telling. They remind us of the pain that life can create, the suffering that follows and the growth that can be achieved. Beginning their therapy journeys with me was not an easy task. Each one made a decision to stand out from the crowd and ask for help. In facing the short-term fear that accompanies that request for help these folks have allowed themselves the benefit of long-term relief. If you checked your experience and realized that you’ve been ignoring your pain to avoid standing out know that you are not alone. Know that you too can make a choice to stand out in service of finding relief. We are just a phone call away.