From my experience, people seek counseling because they face a difficulty that prevents them from living the life they want, and in most cases from experiencing a greater degree of love in their day to day life and relationships.
I see my role as helping people understand and overcome the difficulties they are facing.
Together we explore, identify and talk about the theme running through the difficulties to allow insight, understanding and action.
Once you understand the situation, you can take practical steps to change the way you live – from your heart and love rather than out of your pain and suffering.
The following awakening American Indian story is a great illustration of this:
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life.
“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.”
“The other” he continued, “is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
“Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied,
“The one you feed.”
The predicament is that we all have a unique way in which those two wolfs are intertwined inside of us, and it takes sincere inner work to be aware which one we are feeding.
The good news is that there is a way out. I know from my experience of working on myself, and from helping many clients that there is a way to live a life of love, care, respect, passion, and joy. The most important ingredient for success is your willingness to do something about your life and to bring about change.
In the process, you will gain awareness of the source of your suffering, and what you can do the heal the pain and change your life to be heartfelt and loving towards yourself and everyone around you.