Integrative Person Centred Psychotherapy... Getting to know the real you Have you ever noticed the feeling you get when you are in a moment of absolute clarity – this is good for me, this feels right, I know I am doing the right thing. It is that sense of being true to yourself which gives a feeling of joy and/or fulfillment and helps us reach our optimum potential. There are people in life who you can readily see were true to their own spirit of determination, throughout their lives, listening to their true and pure ‘ego’ without ego! Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, Shirley Chisholm to name a few. What is wonderful but not unique about these individuals is that they all spoke from their innate ‘internal self’, the true self that helps the individual lead to permanent transformation and as such deeper internal happiness. Such individuals seem to have a natural ability to access their true self and transform their suffering into great benefit for themselves and others. For many, the road to fundamental growth and self-understanding is an angoing journey enjoyed by taking small steps in the right direction – one that leads to a sense of personal power, leading to a more ‘whole’ and confident self. As we integrate a conscious ‘internal self’, we tend to create healthier relationships with those around us and more joy in our life. Our needs and heart’s desires become clear and we have the confidence and innate wisdom to create these whilst also respecting others we meet on our path. How can Counselling & Psychotherapy help us realise this true sense of self, one that may have been blocked for a number of valid reasons? - What blocks us from feeling that we can truly fulfill our potential? Previous negative life experiences, other peoples fears and expectations projected onto us, fear of failure, rejection, or facing the unknown, can influence our expectations and approach to our job aspirations, relationships or to taking better care of ourselves. Our early life experiences also influence how we understand relationships and our role in them. D.W. Winnicott has written extensively about the importance of our early experiences of ‘attachment’ within the family, in determiniing how our personalities are shaped and how we are in relationship to ourselves and others. Secure, loving attachments lead to a feeling of ‘security’ in relationships later in life. By feeling emotionally secure in the nurturing stage, Winnicott explains that we bring this to emotionally mature relationships later in life. If these conditions were not met early in life, relationship to self and those around us can be founded on mis-trust or a fear of not experiencing unconditional love. This can manifest by creating unhealthy situations that are familiar though not value creating for ourselves or others. By getting to ‘love’ our true self we set others free, and base our relationships on trust and respect. Counselling & Psychotherapy is a valuable aid to personal growth. It can help to: · Develop assertiveness · Enhance self-confidence · Improve your life and relationships · Improve body image · Clarify Goals · Change unhelpful thoughts and habits Support conflict resolution in personal, work or family relationships · Provide a supportive environment in times of transition or crisis e.g. loss & bereavement, separation, overcoming abuse, overcoming painful experiences from our past, addiction issues. · Ann Bracken works within a Person-centred Psychotherapeutic approach and also Mindful Based CBT to help in this process In counselling & Psychotherapy, coming back home to ourselves is helped by unravelling the ‘false’ self-beliefs about ourselves and our capabilities. When we start to realise our full and real potential as indivudals, we begin to experience life as a joyful place full of potential. A psychotherapeutic setting can be healing in this, by allowing our “voice” to be heard, and in creating a safe, confidential space to reconnect with and express our ‘true’ self. |
