from our mental health blogger Marc McCann
Closing the gap
I haven’t had much time to blog recently as I’ve been busy at work and doing a counselling course in the evening. Throw in a few unexpected life events along the way, and life has been a bit hectic.
That’s not to say I have regrets about the course; In fact, the introspective nature of developing counselling skills has given me great insight and self-awareness. There has been loads of theory, too much in my opinion, but throughout the course a couple of things have really struck me.
The first is one of the fundamental theories of person centred therapy and is relevant to all of us. This theory identifies a dual personality that we all possess, the current self and the ideal self. The current self is where you are right now, the ideal self is where you would like to be.
Think for a second, what does the best version of you look like? healthier, happier, more financially stable. More open and honest with your partner. Free from addiction, a promotion in work, or a change of career perhaps.
This theory suggests that moving toward these goals, day by day, little by little, can bring you a sense of purpose, fulfilment and inner peace. Perhaps your current and ideal self is already closely aligned, if so, you are living an authentic and satisfying life. Many of us will notice a large gap between these two versions of self, and if that is the case then you are almost certainly going to experience depression, anxiety and general feelings of discontent. It is the counsellor’s job to help close this gap. This theory makes a lot of sense to me.
The second thing that I found fascinating was the people studying alongside me. Most have decided to help others through counselling after experiencing their own fair share of trauma and emotional turmoil.
I got to hear some of their stories during sessions, and on more than one occasion as I drove home from college, it occurred to me that there is always someone worse off than you, who is silently fighting a battle that you know nothing about.
So, be kind always, and be grateful, because as the proverb goes, if every person went into a room and put their problems on the table, most would be quite happy to take their own home with them again.Â
