We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. - Marcel Proust Our culture abounds with experts: in the arena of the inner world, there are spiritual and psychological teachers, self-help books, TED talks, webinars and workshops. They often suggest that you can have the life you desire if you follow their wisdom and advice. There is certainly an allure to the hint or implication of a magic wand that will solve your problems!
In fact, there is valuable guidance and information to be gleaned from all of the above resources. Yet the journey is still uniquely yours. Just as you have a fingerprint that is not duplicated, so the journey to wisdom and to fully inhabiting your own life is also unique. Certainly there are templates and models of growth and change that are universal. Yet, the unique combination of nature and nurture that makes you YOU, also means that your path to self-discovery and wisdom also has its own healing symbols, twists and turns, your own demons to face, as well as making peace with yourself, your life and others in a way that resonates with who you are. Psychotherapy ( and therapists), in the best of circumstances, will NOT tell you what to do! Therapy will provide you with a safe place to be curious and honest about your life, your inner world and your path. The therapist can help you learn more about yourself, your patterns, your hopes and desires as well as the obstacles that stand in your way. But the transformative process and path to wisdom is uniquely yours!
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AuthorPeggy Handler, MFT, is a psychotherapist in San Francisco's Noe Valley Archives
December 2020
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