Counseling Input vs Growth Output
Dear clients,
Counseling is about investing time into something important for future growth and development. It is about committing to something, or in some cases to someone, to become a better person. The process of becoming a better person is complicated since it requires you to face your fears, deal with old hurt, or revisit unresolved trauma.
Because it is so incredibly difficult, many clients find it challenging to embark on this journey. Or they may feel like they are off to a good start, only to discover that they do not have "what it takes" to maintain the pace and eventually allow other things to interrupt their progress. Right now, you might be asking yourself the question, "What does it take to maintain a good pace?"
Good question.
Like with all things in life, the journey toward growth and healing takes time, commitment, and effort. Time is not just about attending the counseling session, it also means working on homework activities and practicing the concepts/insights gained through counseling. Commitment requires you to work towards success and to find the motivation that will carry you through this process. A good way to uncover your motivation is to ask yourself, "Why am I doing this?"
This brings us to the final concept of effort. The effort is all about what you put into the session and the amount of work that you are willing to engage in to ensure growth and healing outside of the session. In general, the counseling session only offers about a 10% opportunity for change. The remaining 90% comes from the work you do OUTSIDE of the session. (I.e. attending support meetings, completing homework activities, applying the therapeutic concepts, etc.)
Talking about a problem is good and it has a way of bringing healing to the soul. Yet, merely talking about a problem will not make it go away and it certainly won't make it better. The only way that things will change is for you to put in the effort by applying what you've learned in therapy.
This month, be honest about the problem and serious about the work and hopeful about the solution.
Be blessed,
Madeleine