During a recent session, a client said to me, “Wow, you just uncovered that”. The client had an epiphany and saw something from a different perspective. Counseling can lead to discovery. I remind my clients that they are responsible for the work they do on healing and improving themselves. In response to my client, I said, “You uncovered that yourself”. As a counselor, I am responsible for listening and focusing on important elements that the client might have overlooked. These could be the patterns of thinking they have. Or the emotions they truly feel, and how they view what happens to them.
By asking the client questions to dig deeper into their thoughts and feelings, I give them an opportunity to uncover something that they might have ignored or suppressed. Once the client can see this part of themselves clearly, we can move forward with actually talking about it. I try to help the client discover when this pattern of thinking or reacting started in their life and what purpose it served. Then, a client has a chance to better understand themselves and their tendencies.
If a client struggles to show themselves compassion, then I direct them to think about how they would treat another person in a similar situation. Clients usually have no problem showing others compassion and then become aware of this difference. Becoming aware of any behavior can give us an opportunity to change it. Just as a client is responsible for doing the work on improving themselves, they are also responsible for the epiphanies, accomplishments, and discoveries in their life.
To discover more about yourself, reach out to The Lighthouse Emotional Wellness Center to schedule a session with one of our great counselors! We can help you gather valuable insights about yourself.
Anxiety Coach
