My Story of Losing and Regaining My self
Hello again,
When I think of losing myself, I remember when I was a counseling intern. All the other interns had graduated, so I was the only referral the clinic could offer to new clients, and I took every single referral.
I was new to counseling, working night and day with extremely difficult cases, including one client who spent his sessions yelling at me about what a bad therapist I was because I hadn’t saved his relationship. (Cue more yelling and berating.)
My whole body became numb. My thyroid went haywire. I moved like a 1,000-pound robot from one day to the next.
All I had to do was say no—but I couldn’t remember how to use that word.
Yes, I wanted the hours.
Yes, I wanted the experience.
Yes, I was up for a challenge.
And any of my supervisors would have supported me in adjusting my schedule.
I just couldn’t feel my body and soul well enough to guide me into making a good decision. I was scared, overwhelmed, and out of touch.
If this has happened to you, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
The Turning Point
Like many people I work with, maybe you’ve tried a gajillion things, but still haven’t figured out how to turn to yourself as a source of wisdom.
Maybe it’s time for an intervention.
That experience of losing myself as an intern was so frightening that I literally changed my whole life:
I changed my diet.
Healed my thyroid.
Started dancing every day.
Sought counsel from older, wiser therapists—and followed their advice until I could feel and hear myself again.
And I recovered.
I never realized that listening to others without listening to yourself could be so dangerous. In fact, my thyroid specialist told me that female therapists who spend all day listening to others make up the largest portion of her client base.
I never realized that listening to others without listening to yourself could be so dangerous. In fact, my thyroid specialist told me that female therapists who spend all day listening to others make up the largest portion of her client base.
Where I Am Now
I enjoy my work now. In fact, I love my work. I still feel untethered from time to time, but I now have the tools and awareness to reconnect to myself, and to others.
I have the honor of offering The Whole Body Recovery Group Program to women — a space that helps them recover from precisely these types of life-stopping experiences.
If you’re in a place of disconnection from yourself, I’m thinking of you and rooting for you in your journey. With the right support, your recovery is possible.
Warmly,
Margery
