Acceptance & Growth

I think therapy is the tension between acceptance and growth. There is healing in accepting yourself for who you are - both strengths and perceived weaknesses. There is also intended growth. You work towards acceptance, but also work on the behaviors, emotions, and thoughts that you feel may be holding you back. Therapy is both acceptance and change.

For example: A person who struggles with anger might have problems in their relationships due to behaviors such as yelling, or verbal or physical aggression. The acceptance comes not from accepting that the behavior is okay, but accepting that the struggle with anger is real. Accepting anger is an emotion that serves a purpose but needs to be managed, can lead to change. Oftentimes, it’s the denial of behaviors or emotions that make it harder to confront and manage the problem.

Safe Space

Therapy is also a safe space where that work can happen. It can be a place to work on your challenges, but also share your deepest dreams and worst nightmares as well as day to day stressors and joys which often exist within these extremes.

Anyone who comes to therapy should feel safe to share their struggles whether it’s anger, anxiety, or depression. The point of therapy is not just to vent. It is a space to allow struggles to come forward where they can be worked on with less defensiveness and greater care.

My work

Yoojin Nam LMFT is the author of Thinking to Feel. He has been providing psychotherapy for 7 years and is licensed to practice in CA & TX.

Wondering if therapy might benefit you? E-mail [email protected] to schedule a free consultation.

Disclaimer: These posts are not a replacement for therapy. The information contained within is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be therapeutic advice. Please seek the consultation of a therapist or a qualified professional with questions regarding individualized mental health treatment.