I love being a therapist. But I do not like how therapists are described as "only concerned with the past."
Well, of course I am concerned with the past. We all are. However, we don't need to stay there.
While our past shapes how we may view things, it does not get to define our future.
All of us have a past. All of us have stories that we use to say why we are the way we are. And all of us use those stories as reasons for either changing or not changing.
There is a show on PBS called "Super Why". My girls loved this show because it was all about stories.
In every episode, the main character, Wyatt, tries to save the day by fixing the problem in the story. To which every character replies "I can't. It's in my story."
Now, it would be great if we could all "zap" the part we want changed and put in something else, but often we cannot.
However, we do get to decided what that story will mean to us. We get to decided if we will allow the past to control our future.
I have had many clients tell me, "I am sad or overwhelmed because I have always been this way." Or "my (anxiety, depression, or abuse) causes me to act this way."
We are not a product of the labels we use to define ourselves. And we are not defined by past experiences. While they are a part of our story, they are not our future.
To "zap" that part of our story, take it out and examine it. Look at the beliefs that come from it. Then ask yourself: Do I want this to define me?
If you are ready to take action in letting go of past beliefs and creating a new future, contact me and lets talk about how I can help you break free and rediscover joy.