Growth and Healing is hard work!
29th July 2025
How many of us truly know ourselves? Yet we sit within our body every day … we are our thoughts, responses, behaviours, choices, feelings, hopes and dreams, this is us. How many of us avoid situations, people, places and above all avoid looking within and owning our thoughts, feelings, strengths and weaknesses?
How many look outward - maybe if I look different, maybe if I bought more things, maybe if I changed relationships, car, career, house, surely then I would be happy?
Do we convince ourselves that we have no time to get to know ourselves or focus on our own journey of healing and growth?
How many of us seek a quick fix, avoid personal responsibility, develop unhelpful habits, turn to alcohol, substance misuse, self-harm and develop obsessive traits to numb, block and avoid feeling?
So many hope or expect others to fix them, but the truth is only we can fix ourselves and that’s hard work! Yes, others can support, guide and help facilitate our personal growth and change but true healing and growth must come from within.
Understanding yourself more, raising your self-awareness, challenging your thoughts and beliefs, embracing change, learning new ways to thrive - spiritual growth and healing is tough!
So, what can we do?
Firstly, we need to be willing to grow, repair, change and heal. This can be messy and difficult, but if we can begin to work on ourselves each day, we start our healing journey.
Acceptance is key; accepting who we are, where we are, our current situation is the foundation block of love and kindness for ourselves and others. From this place, we can repair, heal, grow and re-build. Acceptance doesn’t mean "this is it", it means we no longer resist, disapprove of, or even hate ourselves or our lives. It’s the beginning of the healing journey and an opening to the possibility that we do have choice to change or simply embrace where we are, with love and kindness. We can’t always change our environment, we can’t change others, or have complete control over our circumstances, but we can change our approach and how we see things.
If acceptance feels too far away right now, simply wonder what it might be like to begin accepting yourself, your life, others and consider how you could start making small changes to move towards acceptance.
So where do we begin?
- Journalling - a great place to start. Writing down your thoughts and feelings each day helps you own how you feel, recognise where you are and acknowledge what’s working and what’s not. From there we can begin to understand ourselves better, release emotions, offload, let go of control and attachments and start making better choices for ourselves.
- Gratitude - practicing simple gratitude daily, no matter how difficult life feels can be enlightening. Counting your blessings and feeling thankful is a much lighter, more empowering experience than sadness, jealousy, anger, hate, regret and bitterness. Even in the darkest of times, there are often glimmers of hope.
- Meditation - for many, this can be a great source of comfort. A quiet space just to be with yourself, without expectation, can be deeply grounding and healing.
- Mindfulness - being mindful and present in the moment helps free us from fear and anxiety. It supports us in reconnecting with ourselves and the world around us.
- Therapies - talking therapies can offer invaluable space to air your thoughts, feelings, express emotions, and explore where you are in life. With gentle guidance and without judgement, you can begin to challenge yourself, develop new coping strategies and take steps towards positive change. Looking at your thought patterns, behaviours and consequences can help you take responsibility, own your actions and enhance your life.
- Reiki or spiritual healing - connecting with your soul, feeling grounded, centred and balanced, allows you to know yourself on a much deeper level. Through healing we can receive guidance, clear mental and energetic blockages, re-balance, and step into our true path and purpose in this lifetime.
As a therapist, I offer a safe, compassionate space where you can connect to yourself, heal and transform. Sometimes, the work gets messy, it can bring up long-held emotions, frustrations, anger, grief, and trauma, but all can be met sensitively, safely, in your own time and only to the extent that feels right. We don’t have to go back, we can choose to move forward from where we are, carrying our experiences, thoughts and feelings with us, acknowledging all we have survived and allowing that knowledge to empower us further.
Facilitating change, growth and awakening is a privilege. This is not just a job for me, it’s my purpose; to help and support others in growing and changing in whatever way they are able, in that moment. Sitting with someone, truly listening, holding the space with honesty and trust so that healing can happen - that's an honour.
I’m not perfect, not polished and I don't have all the answers, I’m simply someone who is also growing, learning and healing through my own life challenges and experiences.
We all deserve to heal, be happy and be the best version of ourselves we can be in any given moment. But this takes courage, honesty and work. I know it’s not easy, but together we can do this. Let’s support each other with love and kindness and grow into the individuals we were always meant to be.
If you feel ready to begin your own journey of healing, change and transformation please do get in touch or start by trying one of the practices above to empower yourself and begin your personal journey.
"You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul."
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Swami Vivekananda