The connection we have to the self shapes the rest of our world; our relationships, our career, our physical, emotional, and mental health, our levels of self esteem and self compassion, our parenting, our purpose and meaning. When we are disconnected from what we want, need, and desire in life, or we feel incapable of expressing those wants and needs to others, growth and connection can be difficult.
How can we get what we want out of life if we don’t know what it is that we want? How can my needs be met if I don’t know what those needs are?
And how can I express those needs to others if I’ve never learned how? How do I overcome the fear of being vulnerable and opening myself up when I’ve been hurt in the past? How do I admit to myself what I really want when that might mean big changes (and possible loss) in my life?
These are the types of questions that I absolutely love to work with in the therapy space. Living an authentic and vulnerable life can be challenging. But I firmly believe that the rewards outweigh the risks. Feeling deeply connected to your purpose and meaning, to participate in actively creating the life you want to live, to feeling the satisfaction of a strong, committed, loving relationship with yourself, and to be grounded in trust and safety within the self are invaluable.
Some of the ways that I work with individuals on deeper connection to the self are:
- Deep exploration of values, needs, and desires.
- Identifying your natural resources and strengths.
- Letting go of perfectionism and shame.
- Education about boundaries and boundary setting.
- Developing mindfulness and anxiety management skills.
- Discovering how past experiences have shaped patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior.
- Increasing self compassion and love.
- Examining and challenging fears about worthiness and ability to be your true self.
- Grieving losses (both in and out of the self) that may be related to growth.
- Exploring your support systems such as spirituality, family, friends, workplace, etc.
Some of the presenting concerns that individuals describe when contacting me are:
- Anxiety (racing thoughts, panic attacks, difficulty sleeping, inability to calm down, etc.).
- Feeling in a fog.
- Constant fatigue and little to no energy.
- Difficulty trusting the self and others.
- Feeling angry and irritable most of the time.
- Feeling broken, unlovable, filled with shame.
- Trouble making or maintaining relationships.
- Pattern of attracting the wrong partner and/or friendships.
- Trouble asserting him/herself.
- Physical symptoms unrelated to medical conditions (stomachaches, headaches, body aches/pains, fatigue, muscle tension).
- Feeling stuck.
- Feeling like life has no meaning or purpose.
- Feeling little to no pleasure in life.
- Feeling drained and resentful most of the time.
- Feeling overwhelmed by pressures of life.
- Having difficulty being honest and open in relationships.
- Fear of abandonment and loss.
- Past relationship(s) are impacting present.
If you would like to work on developing a deeper and more authentic connection to the self, please do not hesitate to contact me today.