The situation we are in will evoke deep levels of psychological distress. It is because of this, that I reach out from my practice, from behind my books and journals, where I have happily sat for a very long time, to share some theory, reflection and experience. I want to normalise the reactions to this world phenomenon, spreading the knowledge and understanding that human reaction to threat is normal. It can be worked with, managed, and survived.
There are plenty of theories, a wealth of evidence and many writings that hold promise for what can emerge from chaos, from trauma and from damage.
Let me share this message of hope: all is not lost, new growth will come.
Finding ways to adapt
This is the first time, in 20 years of practice, that I have been compelled to find new ways of reaching out to clients. Without being able to meet in-person, in a very physical, personal and intimate way, 2020 and COVID-19 has brought me into new ways of connecting and working. Telephone and video calls. These would never have been a choice for the depth work I engage with, but they have proved to work, albeit differently, and reminds me that we adapt, we adjust; all things change and new growth comes.
Patiently wait … this too will change
I have grieved the loss of my familiar therapeutic space and the clients who have not been able to make the transition because these new methods do not serve them; some do not have a safe space to call from. Some have lost their income and livelihood and feel unable to continue the work here as they seek new ways of coping with the everyday issues of living. I patiently wait for the time when I can receive these clients back to our safe and holding space here.
Find joy in what is new
I have happily shared in the joy of my clients who have found this time of social distancing liberating – freeing them from old patterns of relating with family members; enabling – as they work on their intimate relationship while free from the usual demands of what used to be normal life; unifying – as they come into contact with their partners in new and more intimate ways.
Accept that lockdown will feel like a threat to the mind
The current lockdown can evoke a sense of loss of our (perceived) safety in the world and that over time we might see an increased level of psychological distress all around us. From a personal and professional perspective, I feel real concern for what severed relational bonds will come to mean in the future. I believe this current world experience will resonate with the part of us which is developmentally vulnerable; the part that suffers low self-esteem, the child part that lives with a recurring sense of loss and abandonment. These are deeply damaging psychological states and can overwhelm and render us powerless for periods of time when we lose our sense of balance, of safety, when we lose our secure base. This is normal and expected under the current situation.
If you are struggling, I look to connect with you in a new way. I hope that what I bring here will give you a sense of how I will engage with you in a therapeutic relationship, however we may come to create that … in my room here or in some non-physical, but no less psychological, realm.
#intherapy #stayconnected #letstalkaboutit