Chamboisé, Québec, Canada
Are you feeling lost, sad, lonely, anxious, angry? Are you sometimes overwhelmed by feelings of unexplainable fears? Do you believe that your life has no meaning? Maybe you have lost a loved one and you miss that person more than you thought possible but, deep down, a part of you knows that this feeling of emptiness is much deeper than the pain of missing that person. Sometimes, you remember how alive you used to feel and you wonder what happened to that part of you, at what point you took an apparently safer turn and seemingly lost your way.
Do you regularly have trouble concentrating and remaining focused? Do you often act recklessly or spontaneously without regard for consequences? Do you use alcohol and/or drugs as a coping strategy? Are you hypersensitive to criticism and struggle with very low self-esteem and a deep sense of insecurity?
Do you feel possessed by thoughts of worthlessness, hopelessness, despair, at times interspersed with a false sense of euphoria that lasts for a while and is then followed by a deeper feeling of dejection? Do you feel that you do not belong, that there is something wrong with you, that life passes you by while you linger in thoughts of past failings or dream of better tomorrows that never seem to come?
Perhaps you have suffered neglect and/or abuse as a child and the memory of those events is a constant burden in your life and affects most of your physical and emotional encounters. However much you have tried to stop replaying these incidents in your mind, the slightest attempt at physical intimacy makes you withdraw in fear and push away those who could give you what you most desire, namely a redeeming, accepting, loving relationship.
Are you often involved in relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive and/or abusive verbally or physically in which you feel trapped? Do you excuse your abuser and believe that you can change him or her while blaming yourself for what is being done to you?
All these descriptions are but a sample of the various ways you can become entrapped in the patterns of coping mechanisms aimed at alleviating the painful consequences of past or present hurts. These strategies, although perpetuating the feeling that you are a hopeless victim of your circumstances, often represent a “comfort zone” that prevent you from knowing that you have the choice to break away from dysfunctional patterns so that you can live a rich, full, and meaningful life, and experience joy, peace and delight in the present moment.
Although some physiological components may predispose you to a particular form of distress, what all these conditions have in common is an unquestioned identification with the mind, a learned tendency to believe the random thoughts generated by your mind, particularly the negative ones and the emotionally laden ones, and to be swayed by them. Our experiences in life shape how we think about ourselves, how we perceive our environment and how we relate to others. Painful life experiences often undermine the hope that change and growth are possible. Although you cannot go back and make a brand new past, you can always start now and make a brand new beginning. To do this only requires that you be mindful of the present moment without analysis nor judgment. This will give rise to a more joyful and spontaneous journey which will bring a more peaceful and profound ending.
It is never too late to become the person you want to be.
Therapy is one of the most direct ways to find the true source of your suffering. It takes a lot of strength and courage to acknowledge the need for help, to be willing to ask for it, and to take the first steps toward getting the support you seek. I look forward to accompanying and guiding you on your journey towards inner freedom. Let me help you gain the self-acceptance, self-knowledge and tools that will eliminate your suffering.