Professional Counseling and the Gift of Vulnerability

My Family

As I begin to promote my practice, I wanted to take some time and share my story with you. I think that it can be easy for many of us to think that various influential people in our life, whether it be parents, bosses, role models, pastors, or perhaps even a therapist, have it all figured out. I can assure you that's not the case. While our amazing photographer managed to capture a (rare) moment when most of us were smiling, there are a disproportionate amount where we are not. I'll tackle shame in a subsequent blog post, but for now, just know that part of our healthy shame is in acknowledging that we don't have all the answers.

For starters:

- I am not a perfect husband (more on this later).

- I am not a perfect father.

- I am not a perfect friend.

- I am not a perfect therapist.

- I don't have all the answers.

And that's okay.

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In the counseling profession, we can (at times) go to great lengths to maintain a healthy, professional, therapeutic relationship with our clients. And much of this is for good reason; however, I often remember various counseling professors stressing to not "over-share" with a client. Certainly, we (therapists) should not make the counseling session about ourselves; rather, the time should be spent meeting the client's needs in the best clinical way possible.

I think that one of the most effective ways of empathizing and relating to a client is through appropriate self-disclosure. I have had numerous clients ask me personal and direct questions about my life, and (so far) I have never been met with a negative response when I share my own story of brokenness.

I am a broken, but redeemed man...

And that's okay.