Something a bit different this week - I share some of my reflections of being a counsellor and a wounded healer. I started counselling training at the tender age of 24 years old, with all the youthful idealism and profound naivety of a truly wounder healer. I was emerging from the depths of an eating disorder, with an intense desire to save the world and prevent others from experiencing the pain and distress of my own suffering. I was wading through the shallow waters of my own recovery journey and thankfully, the life debilitating disordered eating symptoms were almost absent. But little did I appreciate how much was still to come. There was a bumpy road ahead in mastering emotional regulation, communication in relationships and developing a robust self-worth, not dependent on the external validation of others.
And of course, the journey is never-ending to this day. Personal development and self-actualisation seem further into the distance, as I appreciate how little I know and how much more there is to learn. I have been reflecting recently on the strengths and weaknesses of bringing my wounded healer experience to the counselling relationship and I am sharing three thoughts on this. I hope that you enjoy the episode.
About my training days coming up: -
Eating Disorders Training https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/eating-disorders-training.html
Body Image Training https://www.theeatingdisordertherapist.co.uk/body-image-training.html