Have you lost touch with who really are?

Do you sometimes feel as though you’re walking in someone else’s shoes, as though you’re operating on autopilot or ‘playing a role’ to please or fulfil others’ expectations of who you should be? Do you ever wonder “Who am I really?” Holistic counselling and therapy can help you find your way home to your most authentic self.

Getting lost in the roles we all play

We all wear different masks in life – mother, son, careerist, lover, hero, friend, care-taker – so much so that we can sometimes forget who we truly are – who is the self behind it all and what is it asking of me? Holistic counselling and coaching can help you discover or reconnect with your most authentic self, tap into its deep wisdom and guidance and ultimately empower you to share your unique gifts with the world.

Losing touch with self

When we lose touch with our authenticity, we can experience a sense of disorientation and alienation in the world. We can feel as though we are simply going through the motions of life, or fulfilling the obligations of our roles, rather than living in connection and belonging with our deepest truth and purpose. We might even experience lethargy, depression or anxiety, or have the sense of being ‘ an imposter’ in our own lives.

On the other hand, we may feel an underlying sense of shame of ‘who we truly are’ and fear that if others really knew us, they might abandon or reject us. One of the benefits of a holistic approach to counselling is its effectiveness in helping to shift the limiting beliefs and blocks that we may have developed as an ego-defence or coping mechanism that could be holding us back from connecting with and embracing our fullest and most authentic self.

Our most authentic Self - the ‘one that knows’

The truth is we all have an authentic self – an ever-present source of wisdom, truth and energy that is both completely unique to us and universal at once. Our authentic self is our aware ego, the ‘One that knows’ – the wisest, most loving and accepting part of ourself that is just waiting for us to come home to its fullness and support so we can receive it’s truth, love and accept our unique ‘us-ness’ with all of it’s authentic longings and guidance. Our authentic self is one of our greatest resources and our truest and most loyal ally and yet it can feel a little like a stranger if we have spent so long operating outside of it’s reach or if we’ve had few experiences of truly inhabiting it. Holistic counselling and therapy can help us to reconnect with our authenticity and purpose and to heal those wounded aspects of ourself that may be preventing us from accessing our wholeness and personal power.

Why we lose touch with our selves

We can split off from or lose touch with our most authentic self for many reasons – from trauma or disapproval from our primary caregivers in childhood or early adulthood, to the alienation from self that can come with fulfilling the demands of work, financial survival and our familial duties and responsibilities to the detriment of the longings of our truest and deepest self. Perhaps we feel we have ‘to be’ a certain way to belong or to be loved and accepted by peers, partners…even ourselves.

Discovering and reconnecting with your authentic self

If any of this resonates for you, don’t despair, your authentic self is waiting for you – it’s the light on the porch guiding you home and holistic counselling can help you on your journey homewards. Through embodied processes, mindfulness, creative discovery and journey-work you will begin to reconnect with your authenticity. Depending on your circumstances and life experiences, your journey might call on you to integrate abandoned or exiled parts of yourself, to begin to acknowledge and heal core wounds and release personal shame to allow for the full acceptance of and receptivity to your authenticity. This is the journey of life and living that is an invitation to all of us if we choose to take it – and I will be there to support you every step of the way along yours.

Interested in holistic counselling or life coaching?

Find out more at marissacooke.com