Life is good, too good to waste many hours of feeling upset and angry with the world. My morning meditation is one of the vital rituals that allow me to find perspective, to realise that anger, sadness, fear, and almost all other mental state are for the most part, creations of my own mind. Of course I used to be fully controlled by my emotions and reactions to life, making myself into a victim of my own shadow. I need to remember that lesson learned, especially as I work with others in my counselling practice.
Now, many are probably wondering if I actually offer psychotherapy “skyclad.” The answer is “No!” I focus on the client and their needs. I become an active listener and prober as together we “uncover” and “lay bare” the wounds that have brought them to my office. It’s a long process that has them strip away accumulated barriers and defence systems that are now getting in the way of their healing. We peel away layers of pain, exposing the rawness that needs the healing air of awareness. I guess you could say that it becomes a psychological skyclad experience.
Almost always, the laying bare of the psyche is all about the client. However, since I have published my story and having it become a best-seller in my community, my clients probably know more about me than the profession would deem healthy. Yet what do I say when a new client comes for help when they found the courage to do so because they had read my story and deduced that if I could make it through the darkness, then maybe there is help for them to do the same from someone who has been there? I accept them as clients and turn the spotlight upon them, to bring light into their lives.