Rachel Hilliard Psychotherapy

The origin of the word, heal, means to make whole.  As we are affected by the inevitable challenges and traumas in life, we tend to adapt by splitting off essential parts of who we are. These adaptations assist for a while, before they ultimately start harming us. It simply doesn't work to be so internally fractured.  Becoming whole demands that we start including and re-membering all that has been lost. It's a rigorous undertaking that can be overwhelming on one's own. The role of the therapist is to be a companion to the inner world, to hold a map when we are lost, and to witness all aspects of who we are.

We are living in an era that tends to hold a pathologizing attitude towards the inner experience. This is not the most helpful or accurate understanding.  As we notice the various psychological symptoms that arise, it's necessary to inquire what they are trying to communicate with us.  They hold meaning.  Simply trying to eradicate them is misguided.  Though suffering is unwanted, it does have the unintended benefit of directing our attention inwards.  

This introspective capacity is essential.  An attitude of inquiry and exploration helps to unhook from the outdated adaptations, patterns, and narratives of self.   The harmful residues of both collective and familial conditioning will loosen.  We release so much that does not truly belong to us. The capacity to watch ourselves from a witnessing place of awareness is medicinal- it rearranges us.  We are hardwired with this healing instinct, but don't always know or trust it.  The therapeutic process might feel daunting, but it is paradoxically the most urgent and fulfilling of tasks.  It's an honor for me to have a role in this dynamic unfolding.