LIVING AUTHENTICALLY
My Start
Helping people understand is a passion that started when I was young.
In grade two, I had a teacher allowing students who finished their work early to help the other students with theirs. I derived such satisfaction from helping people understand that I would rush through my work to help others struggling with theirs.
Reflecting now, I wonder if she created that rule for me.
Understanding why we feel bad is the first step in figuring out how to feel better, and it is the first pillar guiding my practice as a Registered Nurse Psychotherapist.
Pillar 2: Learning
Learning new skills supported me greatly in my quest to understand. I didn't just learn how to play basketball and volleyball. I learned to play every position. I didn't just learn sports. I learned cooking, sewing, and painting. I didn't get just one degree. I got three.
In an ever-changing environment and political climate, acquiring a broad range of skills is a matter of survival. The more strategies we have, the more options available to us to deal with life's challenges.
Most will think of overt skills like hobbies or crafts, but many of us need to learn cognitive and emotional skills to better navigate relationships and conflict.
Lacking the skill to manage strong negative emotions, many of us disconnected from our emotional selves years ago – leaving a void we attempt to fill with endless distractions. We need to learn to reconnect and learn to manage negative thoughts and feelings.
I help my clients understand how their experiences influence their behaviours. I help them identify and learn skills necessary to improve their situation. My primary motivation is wanting everyone to feel better and know how to make themselves feel better without my help. I want people to have independence and autonomy.
Pillar 3: Empowerment
To me, empowerment is having the ability to make changes that allow us to feel and function better. There are few things worse than being stuck and feeling helpless to do anything about it. Armed with understanding and new skills, we are in a better position to effect real change in our lives.
Pillar 4: Embodying
The final pillar, and overall primary goal, is helping clients embody their authentic selves. I believe everyone wants to live authentically – to live in alignment with their personal values and goals, only they don't know how. I support empowered clients to rediscover and embody their authentic selves.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope it helps you in your journey to find whatever it is you seek.
Please reach out if you have any questions or comments.
LAH
LAH Pillars of Practice
Pillar 1: Understanding
I have a knack for explaining concepts in a way that people can understand. In grade twelve, I taught trigonometry to grade 10 students struggling to comprehend the lesson. That same year, my own math teacher accused me of helping my classmates cheat because students had never done so well on their midterm.
