I believe that every child is born with innate wholeness and also vulnerable to the influences from caregivers and the world at large. As children mature, they adjust to others, take upon themselves their values, and sometimes experience pain and abuse. To survive, people develop various strategies to prevent further pain. Often it includes forgetting and suppressing unwanted memories and emotions, but also hiding certain parts of themselves from others. Inevitably, it leads to fragmentation that shows up in various forms. It could turn into substance abuse, violent outbursts, nervous breakdowns, inability to trust others or feel fully loved, or even into a dull and numb perception of life.
Counseling in my experience is a process of walking alongside my clients so that they don’t have to be alone on their journey of becoming who they are meant to be. As a counselor I chose modalities that involve deep processing, values emotions. and lead to a greater integration (wholeness). Sometimes, counseling sessions feel to the clients like hard work and a setback, but ultimately the result is acceptance, hope, productivity, courage, and a wider connection with others.
