The Counselling Experience.

Blogging as a Counsellor is an altogether new experience for me, so I thought I’d begin with a post about, yes you guessed it, ‘new experiences’. The parallel here is a fairly obvious one I think, though just to be clear, I’m comparing my reticent start in the world of blogging with the experience that some people have in deciding whether or not to begin a period of Counselling or Therapy. So let’s explore this a little further, the link between commencing ‘Blogging’ or ‘Counselling’ and whether indeed there is one at all.

It has in fact taken me quite a while longer than I’d anticipated, to take my ‘first steps’ towards becoming a blogging Counsellor. The reason for the delay, as with many human endeavours, has been the battle I’ve been waging in my own internal world. What do I have to say? Who’d want to read my musings or be interested in my thought processes? What can I offer that hasn’t already been offered, thousands of times and in hundreds of different ways.

I’m sure you know how it goes, the ‘monkey mind’ or ‘inner critic’ as it’s otherwise known. That nagging little voice in your head that likes to remind you all to often, that you’re just not enough. ‘Holistic in Hobart’, What kind of blog title is that? jeered mine to me. Fortunately thanks to age and experience, I’ve learned to cheerfully answer back now… and therefore ‘a good one’ came the answer from me to mine… and so here we are!

More simply expressed, what I’m saying here is that the experiences of feeling anxious, nervous or insecure are an absolutely normal part of being human. When we are considering doing anything new that stretches us beyond our comfort zone, such feelings are not only normal but indeed healthy. Think of such states as a safety barometer, serving to ensure that you grow into new ways of being at a pace that you are comfortable with.

Remember too that with any new venture we’re unsure of, it’s quite common to make the mistake of not being able to ‘see the forest for the trees’. My blog for example, will grow single post by single post over time. A few months back my focus was vast and rambling. I wrote one catchy title after another, succeeding only in becoming overwhelmed by the size of the task ahead. Stepping back for a bit, I’ve now gained some perspective and clarity around how my blog will grow.

The Counselling process can be viewed similarly. If you try to imagine ahead of time how it’s going to ‘play out’, then you’re probably setting yourself up for unnecessary stress or disappointment. Counselling as an experience, in it’s purest form, is always an unfolding series of encounters with another. It might be tempting to unfold the experience in your mind in advance, but in reality your awareness of yourself in relation to another person, only ever grows meeting by meeting.

I’m now quite excited that I’ve finally embarked on my Counselling blog journey. I won’t promise earth shattering insights… and so can only hope that what I choose to focus on will spark your interest. Also, with all of our modern life demands, the well intentioned idea of a regular weekly offering also can’t be guaranteed. What I can say however, is that I’m here, I’m alive and I’m human… that in and of itself is to my mind at least, reason enough for continuing in my endeavours onwards…

Best
Susan JW
Counsellor & Holistic Therapist

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