This Is Not Your Father's Psychotherapy

For a couple of decades when people asked me what I did for work, I told them I was a Radio DJ. The response would usually be an enthusiastic, "Wow Cool!" followed by a bunch of questions.

Today when people ask what I do for work and I say that I'm a Mindfulness Coach, they also generally say, "Wow Cool!" After the traditional enthusiasm however, there is generally an awkward pause followed by one question: "Wait, what is that????"

I have to smile. Five years ago, I would have asked the same question.

I am no stranger to traditional mental health therapies (and some less than traditional therapies). Talk therapy, group therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, you name it I've tried it.

One guy made me lie down on a coach (just like in cartoons!!)

I found traditional talk therapy to be extremely helpful in many ways for a long time. It helped me uncover and define my issues, see where they stemmed from, and see how these patterns were showing up in my everyday life and relationships.

As I said, it was very helpful, but eventually after many years I felt as if I had hit a wall and got to a point of "Ok, NOW what?"

Just because you KNOW better, doesn't mean you necessarily DO better. You can't do better if you don't know HOW to do better. This is where mindfulness as a practice and finding a coach, rather than a therapist worked wonders in my life.

Mindfulness involves awareness and acceptance. Accepting life on its terms rather than trying to make sense of it or impose our will onto it.

While a therapist is like a detective digging for clues, finding correlations and patterns and helping the client come to realizations, a coach talks to their clients about goals, limiting beliefs and obstacles.

The coach does not diagnose nor give advice, instead the coach provides the client with tools to provide neutrality, help them get out of their own way and navigate life more easily. These include ways to test their own perceptions and let go of the limiting beliefs and stories that have formed around them.

Do I have a personal preference for a personal development/growth journey path?

Nope.

I have tried and benefitted from many forms of education and treatment.

I think traditional therapy is generally the best place to start, especially when uncovering trauma and define where one is stuck.

Mindfulness coaching can be a great supplement or follow-up.

No two people are alike, no two modalities are alike, and no two treatment/growth plans will be alike.

Many of our parents’ generations grew up with the belief that going to therapy or asking for help and guidance was a sign of weakness. I believe the exact opposite to be true.

We all deserve to feel our best. We don't have to be victims of circumstance, of fate, of other people, or even of ourselves. We really do have the power. Acknowledging that we need help and then seeking it out, is the first step in re-claiming it.

"We all bleed the same way as you do, and we all have the same things to go through. Hold on if you feel like letting go. Hold on, it gets better than you know. Don't stop looking, you're one step closer. Don't stop searching, it's not over. Hold on." -Good Charlotte