I was a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice for 20+ years with over 25,000 direct client hours.
A person or couple (doesn’t matter, the process is the same) would plop on my couch. The pain was etched on their face. Their body language screamed tension. Their eyes had this distant stare.
The agony, the problems, the self deprecating thoughts, the words of blame and hurt spewed into the heavy air.
At some point, which I intuitively knew was right, I pulled up my chair and/or made a comment that cut through the pain and fear.
- Silence.
- Tears.
- Knowing.
- The face, eyes and body came alive with
- deep long breaths.
- A smile.
- A gaze at the other that said, “It’s ok.”