Conversing through writing…
There’s more research all the time showing that writing is just as effective as — and often less stressful than — in-person therapy for addressing a wide range of concerns. Here’s a recent example showing how effective writing is for treating trauma. Because of this research, insurance now often covers working via writing.
Early on in my career, clients would email me between sessions with substantial kinds of concerns. I noticed these email exchanges often led to big leaps in progress.
Clients told me it helped to have written words to refer back to. They liked being able to take in my ideas and respond in their own time. It worked better for some to engage around things as they were happening rather than having to wait for the next scheduled session. For others, removing the social/performative demands of in-person therapy enabled them to go deeper and to talk about hard things in a less stressful way.
Some people find working by email fits their life circumstances better because they have demands on their schedule that make it easier for them to do counseling in smaller chunks of time. Working with people in other parts of the world, conversing asynchronously overcomes time zone differences. Some people have careers that make them sensitive to privacy concerns and like working via disappearing text and not having to worry about a paper trail.
Consulting the I Ching…
The I Ching is also known as the Yijing — Yi meaning change and Jing meaning sacred book.
We tend to approach problems with the same mindset that got us stuck in the first place. We need a fresh approach to open a new door in our minds. Akin to dreamwork, guided visualization, meditation retreats, and psychedelics, working with the I Ching offers this kind of new door.
At the same time, the I Ching is a truly ancient door, one that millions of people all over the world have used for over 3,000 years. It’s grounded in the lineages of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism — philosophies that support healthy traits such as diligence, flexibility, compassion, and curiosity.
Two to six sessions is usually enough to step through this door and see a new way ahead. I’ve found the I Ching to be transformational for my clients and in my own life. I also enjoy teaching clients how to use the I Ching themselves so they can continue the conversation beyond our work together.
If you’re a more analytical person (as I am), it can be particularly valuable to have ways to step out of that way of thinking now and again. Life becomes more vivid and delicious when we access these alternative ways of knowing. You don’t have to abandon your analytical self, but bringing a thread of more intuitive, aesthetic, and felt ways of knowing into your life can be incredibly enriching.
A small but growing number of therapists are noticing how the I Ching can free the work up when it occasionally gets stuck. I’ve incorporated work with the I Ching into my ongoing email conversations with clients for several years. Because of the success I’ve seen with that, I’m now offering short-term (2 – 6 sessions) counseling that is more directly focused on providing I Ching readings to help people navigate specific situations.
Support for Patient and Client-Centered Professionals…
How can we ripen well in our careers?
I offer support and guidance for client-centered professionals so our jobs feel more sustainable and our work reflects our evolving priorities.
The crisis/opportunity of peak Covid burnout was an invitation to many of us to reshape our work so that it aligns with our needs as humans. Many of us are still recovering from the strain of that time. I myself burned out during Covid and restructured my work. I also consulted with organizational leaders on how to support burnout recovery and prevention among their staff.
In the best of times, the demands of client-centered work can get us hooked in ways that are costly to our well-being. In the land of therapy, we call this getting hooked countertransference, but it happens in all kinds of client-oriented work. You don’t have to be in healthcare to experience relational fatigue in your career.
Client-centered work can surface deep stuff in us. If we grew up in an environment where boundaries were unclear or we experienced other kinds of challenges from our caregivers or with our peers, the relational aspects of our work can at times be a bit of a minefield.
I think it’s extremely valuable for people who do client or patient-oriented work to have their own dedicated space to reflect, unload, and adjust course as needed. I offer that space.
Email me at [email protected] and visit my getting started page for more information.