There is a key verse from the Bible that guides the work I do:
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the broken-hearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed."
Isaiah 61:1 NLT
I try to live this practically in my own life and in each session that I provide as a counselor. I choose to focus on the good (to bring good news), to comfort those in a tough season and help individuals to make choices that will bring life and freedom. I am honoured to be able to part of a person's life often in a very tough season.
In therapy we don’t just look at what is broken and needs fixing but also what is working and what is good in a person's life. We look at positive experiences, characteristics they admire, practices that bring life and those things that enable an individual to live their best life.
My desire is for people not just to survive but to flourish and thrive. So here is some of the ways we do this in sessions:
* Choosing to see the best in others around us - it's easy to focus on the negative and worst in others but it rarely serves us. If we choose to see the best in those around us it helps us to have more positive regard for them and we become more accepting. You may have a strained relationship with a parent and they really get on your nerves. Before you see them next choose to focus on one thing that is good about them. If a certain topic always brings conflict with another person give the topic a break for a while. You won't believe what a difference this very small act can make.
* Abundance and not lack - is the glass half full or half empty in any given situation? Well, that is up to you to decide. I know that most people will always prefer to be around people whose glass is half full. You don’t have be 'fake' to be that way you simply decide that there has to be something good in any situation, so why not focus some energy on it.
* Work to your strengths - we can't be good at everything, and while I am committed to improve on my weaknesses as a person it doesn’t mean that I have to showcase these and nor do you. Instead I choose to work to my strengths and shine there. What are you good at? Maybe its remembering important dates, if so then text or call a person on an important date you remember. There are some things we can all be strong at; being kind to others, smiling, and treating others how you would like to be treated.
* Reframe your story - you might have had a very tough time, however in the background of the story there were some incredible people that got alongside you. Maybe the hard time forced you to make a change that has improved your life, maybe the experience made you more grateful for life. We look for these things in the story and it allows us to perceive the whole picture very differently.
The outcomes of these practices are truly transformational. They include having deeper more meaningful relationships, having stronger resilience, restoration of broken or damaged relationships, being more socially engaged with a more genuine desire for others to do well.
If you or someone you know could benefit from a session please contact me for a complimentary consultation. There's no time like the present to start living your best life!
Blessings,
Suz.
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