Recently, I moved and it occurred to me that it is harder to
unpack then to pack boxes. Naturally, as a therapist, I make the analogy to
unpacking memories, emotions and traumas. It seems that for some it seems
easier to stuff and keep things locked up and stashed away as unwanted clutter.
In the long run, our boxes overflow and symptoms of depression, anxiety and
other associated disorders surface.
As clinicians, we ask our clients to unlock and unburden themselves from the past in order to alleviate symptoms. In my experience, this act of “emptying the box” is sometimes painful and duration is unpredictable. For others, the contents in the box have become part of their identity so they hold on to unwanted distress.
Thankfully with moving, I can throw the unneeded clutter out while I am unpacking. Awareness, acceptance and forgiveness are three concepts that can help to reduce the contents in the proverbial boxes in our minds.
Rachel Rowitt | Grace Counseling, Inc.
As clinicians, we ask our clients to unlock and unburden themselves from the past in order to alleviate symptoms. In my experience, this act of “emptying the box” is sometimes painful and duration is unpredictable. For others, the contents in the box have become part of their identity so they hold on to unwanted distress.
Thankfully with moving, I can throw the unneeded clutter out while I am unpacking. Awareness, acceptance and forgiveness are three concepts that can help to reduce the contents in the proverbial boxes in our minds.
Rachel Rowitt | Grace Counseling, Inc.
