The Wider Lens
Flipping through pages of notes from my weekend at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium, I look down and notice 2 little words that I had written to myself:
apples and yogurt.
A simple reminder of nourishment.
It's so easy sometimes to immerse ourselves in what we're doing, that we place ourselves last. For therapists, this is as commonplace as the sticker I picked up from the exhibit hall “Love yourself, to love others”. The cynical side of me is now rolling my eyes.
Yet, the pragmatist in me, stuck that sticker on her water bottle. Why? Because I can never have enough reminders of this aphorism.
When I am walking alongside my client and I listen, feel, attune, and reflect, I am fully with them. As I ask them to experience their feelings in their bodies, I also check in with my body and notice their feelings mirrored within me. When I invite them to move towards more agency, relief, and ease, I move with them in this new way.
As we embark on the beginning of Spring, we are observing all the tiny details. The first buds on the trees, baby blossoms, and the return of birdsong. I can smell the pink earthworms as they wriggle on the wet pavement after the rain. All of these details ask us to zoom in. Much like the work we do as therapists, we focus closely on the stories, emotions, and internal processes.
And then there are moments that demand that we zoom out. The sky calls to me as the clouds part ways and the sun brightens overhead. I tilt my head back and allow my gaze to reach to the tops of the blossoming trees. At this moment, I automatically reconnect with the bigger picture: the why, the how, and the meaning behind our work.
Clients get our full attention during a session. We are fully immersed and may need gentle notes to remember to nourish and care for ourselves. Zoom out when you've been zoomed in for too long. Remember your body, your needs, your purpose.
“Change the way you look at things,
and the things you look at change."
- Wayne Dyer
Symposium attendees enjoying a trail walk in Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C.
What's the best way to learn about walk and talk therapy?
Step into the experience. We don't just talk about it, we walk and talk together!
Join us next year for the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium's 50th year of gathering!
Consults Available!
Walk and Talk Therapists
If you have a walk and talk therapy question for Jen, please write to her at: Jen@PositiveStridesTherapy.com
with the subject line:
Q&A for therapists/newsletter
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