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The Challenge of Growth
When I was a child it just didn’t matter that I acted like a child; my behaviors were expected and needed. Now that I’m an adult, those childhood ways of “being” just don’t work anymore. There comes a time in everyone’s life when they must make a choice to “put away childish things.” Then there’s the hard work of actually making change happen. It’s the same with psychological health and relational stability, we can’t stay children waiting for others to “fulfill” and “validate.” We must increase our awareness, heal from old wounds, and increase our personal responsibility. When client’s and I work together we work toward “advanced adulthood.” Coming to an understanding of “why” we continue to recreate and maintain old patterns in our lives and “how” we came to know ourselves this way; we mourn unfulfilled needs, “put away” old childhood emotional and relational patterns, and take serious the responsibility to live our own lives well. Therapeutic growth isn’t as simple as a few words on a page; it’s difficult and emotionally costly. Many clients simply come for relief and leave feeling better, but with no more personal and relational potential than when they came. Some invest themselves, as individuals, couples, and families, into a journey of self exploration; wanting more grounding and authenticity in their lives. With any reward there is a cost; are you willing to confront the challenge of personal growth? |