As a therapist, I often hear these statements: "I've been this way for so long," "It's just who I am," "I don't know any other way," "I'm afraid of what's on the other side" "It's been years and years. Is change really possible? "I've talked about this for so long and nothing has changed. It seems hopeless."
These are valid observations, questions, and concerns. Sometimes, your experiences are so embedded into your psyche that it's challenging to see anything other than what is in front of you. So, I want to identify two key points that can help you see things a bit differently and perhaps create a pathway of curiousity towards the change that takes place through the therapy process.
Number 1: Hope. There is a part of you that holds hope because you are reaching out for therapy services, whether it is for a weekend intensive or a weekly session. Something inside of you is curious about the prospects of change; it may even feel like desperation. However you describe that sense, it likely means there is the possibility of seeing yourself different or doing something differently.
That's the basic definition of hope - to want something to happen, to desire with expectation, to want something to happen or be true and think that it could happen or be true.
It doesn't matter if that hope is small - we can expand it and help it to grow. Sometimes, hoping things can be different is met with anxiety - what would that look like? It's the great unknown, yet you can find comfort in this truth - you know and you don't know. Trauma or life's stressors has a way of keeping you from accessing the essence of who you are, after all, that's the part that was rejected, dismissed, overlooked, silenced, or ignored, so it makes sense that there is some apprehension. However, I encourage you to let that hope be the seed you use to heal and grow. We do this together.
Number 2: Neuroplasticity. Your system is designed to change. Life events cause you to think and act differently.
Neuroplasticity is defined as the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experiences. In other words, your brain can change - wow, there's that hope again, but it's confirmed by science.
I could spend all day talking about neuroplasticity so I won't bore you.
Let me summarize this by speaking to the part of you that has this innate sense, this ever so small unction, deep inside, that there is a missing piece. Something is calling you from deep inside. To that part I say, "I see you. I know you are there, and I am waiting for you."
The answer to the question? YES, change is possible. It is an evolutionary journey that you deserve.
If you'd like to know more about how you can start your journey, reach out via email or schedule an appointment here.
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