We are the only ones that can really know and understand how we are feeling. No external test, measurement, judgement or examination can ever come close to perceiving our experiences of life. How we experience situations and interactions are very individual and private. We may not always be aware of how we are perceiving our life but we are the only ones who can retrieve and access our memories and make sense of them.
Person-Centered counselling is based on the tenet that we have all the answers within ourselves. However, unravelling and processing painful memories on our own rarely leads to resolution, because when we self-talk we can’t truly hear what we are saying; it is almost just being reiterated with all the associated negative thoughts and it can feel like getting stuck in a spiral. By working with a counsellor who is actively listening to you, they can feel and hear your struggle. Their engagement with you and their valuing your honest efforts to understand yourself validates your worthiness as a human being. This in turn allows you to value more deeply what is in your heart and what you are feeling enabling you to freely express it without fear of judgement. As you find this deeper connection with yourself and discover what was holding all that struggle in place you start to regain your energy and begin to trust yourself a little bit more. And slowly you start to value yourself for the truth you have discovered. That is the gift of counselling and why it is so valuable for self-growth. We don’t need others to interpret our thoughts, we need to interpret them deeply, honestly, respectfully and completely because at the bedrock they will always make sense and what you find will free you.
