I’ve always thought of life as a series of pivots… or at least a series of potential events that can be used to pivot oneself to a higher, inner plane of strength, growth, love, and safety. This is particularly true when reviewing both the major times of joy and even sorrow in one’s life. Memories that bring strong emotion and thought to the forefront of the conscious mind can really be key chapters in our life story.
In my work in behavioral health, specifically trauma-based therapy, I have seen clients achieve the seemingly unachievable in their own self-growth and healing. I have seen this, especially, when I have taken my clients through various exercises (i.e. NLP, meditation, EMI, etc.) that allow them to face the memories of events that have caused them the most joy and/or pain. I think our lives and culture in the United States promotes of a mindset that is only focused on what we contribute to society, especially our professions. This, unfortunately, results in self-reflection and care to often be put on ice and compartmentalizes moments/memories that deserve reflection.
How then does therapy address this hardwired thinking to cause a pivot? A fair question, for which the answer is different for each individual. For example, one client might get more out of actually writing down their process through journaling. The process of privately writing down one’s inner thoughts and emotions, raw and uncensored, and then reading said entries can jump-start the reflective process for the conscious mind. The act of writing has forced the conscious mind to collaborate with the subconscious mind… the treasure chest of memories.
However, this is not true of all people. Others might respond better to a more physical approach (i.e. eye movement desensitization reprocessing, EMDR). In EMDR therapy, the body is able to connect to the brain and start lubricating it in its ability to be aware of the past and future separately. Even still, there are many other forms of therapy that combine the physical with the mental. Others even incorporate self-communication, goal-setting, self-challenges, etc. At the end of the day, though, it really boils down to the individual’s personality, likes, dislikes, environments, etc.
So, to summarize, I think the approach that we as humans have to take in finding what form(s) of therapy (clinical and non-clinical) will help us process then pivot, is to start by getting to truly know ourselves. One must find a concentrated way to ask questions such as: “Who am I?” “What do I like about myself and others?” “What do I dislike about myself and others?” “What is my purpose?” “Who has the most influence over my time and energy?” and “Who do I aspire to be?”
These questions are rarely easy to answer, especially during the initial processing stage. But, the questions, answers, and everything in-between must be figured out, or the individual will live their life with confusion, misdirection, and even pain and regret.
With that in mind, this is the reason I chose the name: Pivot’s Potential for our practice. Because every client my team and I see is looking for their pivot… whether they know it or not. And it is our job, as providers, to help offer them useful tools/resources and inspire them to achieve their own pivot through their potential. At the end of the day, you are your own key to success in inner healing!
Wishing you all nothing but the best!
Vida Lynne Penn-Leon, LCSW-C