Instilling Hope

Quite a task, I must say; it is one of the crucial parts of what therapy is all about. When the client is in full despair, how does a therapist stay with the client and yet instill hope at the same time?

Well, the delivery of that message is the arts and crafts of what we do. I think back to the sessions that I had with clients this week. Some sessions I felt like I did a good job of inspiring hope, others I wish I could have done better.

"How do you keep your heart open in the face of hell's fire?" asked my supervisor on different occasions. Well, that is the art and craft of what we do, too. For me, the Tonglen meditation really helps. Recently I have been feeling all over again the magic of breath. The simple act of continuous breathing brings me hope and warmth. Inhale I take in, accept and feel the pain; exhale I send out warmth, relief, healing and hope.

I am thinking back to what I could have said, should have said, would have said in those sessions. Things that I didn't say because I was not yet able to connect what I felt to the deepest level. I am truly in the process now, working to become a more complete healer.

I have what it takes to be a healer. I am learning how to deliver what I feel inside of me fully at each moment to those who suffer in front of me, and what I feel is not just me, but the grace of higher power---meaning that the gift of healing comes not from me but through me.

Love to you all.