When your body speaks what your words can’t

Have you ever said “I’m fine” when actually you’re anything but fine?

Sometimes we get so caught up in every day life that we don’t stop to think about how we’re really feeling. We look after everyone else, keep busy and put our own feelings to one side.

I know I have done this myself, and sometimes still do.  I’ve put other peoples needs before my own, brushed my feelings aside and carried on with whatever needed doing.

I’ve also noticed that when I’ve pushed my feelings aside they don’t always disappear.  Sometimes I find myself becoming snappy with people who haven’t actually done anything wrong.  Looking back, I can recognise that my frustration isn’t always about the person in front of me, sometimes there’s something else going on that I haven’t stopped to acknowledge.

Through my own personal development and becoming a counsellor, I’ve become more aware of these patterns.  I don’t get it right all the time, but I’m better able to recognise when something might be going on beneath the surface.

Our bodies can give us clues too.  A tight chest, racing heart, tense shoulders or a knot in your stomach can sometimes tell us something that we’re finding difficult to put into words. 

As a Gestalt counsellor, I’m interested in what’s happening in the here and now not just what someone says but what they’re feeling and experiencing too.  I work integratively with Gestalt as my main approach, drawing on other techniques depending on the person and what they bring to counselling.

Counselling offers a space to slow down, talk openly and begin to make sense of feelings and patterns that may have been pushed aside for a long time.

When was the last time you stopped and really asked yourself how you were feeling?

If anything I have written resonates with you, and you would like some space to explore your own thoughts and feelings please feel free to get in touch.  You don’t have to work everything out on your own.