Bernadette works at Nightingale Counselling, a high-standard clinic for adults and youth seeking meaningful progress in their lives.
Although people come to counselling when life feels hard to bear, or even hopeless, reaching out for therapy is ultimately an act of hope. I consider this essential to my counselling role: To hold on to this hope and never let it fall far away. (And if it does, I keep a solid supply and am happy to share!) This unwavering hopefulness comes from trust and experience that while we may not rid ourselves of pain and discomfort, we can change how we relate to it and amplify our resilience in the process. How is this possible? By slowing down and being curious rather than judgemental, reflecting on situations and relationships carefully rather than cynically, challenging ourselves when necessary, and above all, cultivating the unconditional acceptance, love, and self-companionship that fuels healing.
My counselling stance is built on a foundational belief that something deep within each of us is this constant companion– call it our inner voice, our essence, or at the risk of sounding woo-woo, our soul or psyche (per Carl Jung). Learning to pay attention to our inner voice can be tough because it requires a level of patience that’s alien to today’s quick-fix culture. But counselling can be a powerful cultural-counterforce when it does the steady work of employing empathy, encouragement, humility, and a lot of good humour, for the purpose of connecting with our whole selves, because we’re so much more than just our thoughts: We are all emotional, intuiting, somatic, shadow-y, soulful, and historied beings. So, let’s illuminate it all; I have faith and hope it’ll bring us somewhere good.