Being a psychologist has taught me we are all incredibly unique. Even identical twins have such different life experiences that identical genetics create two totally different people.
The University of Zurich
examined the difference between our brains. They found that like our fingerprints every brain is unique. The experiences we have had and the activities we spend our time on shape our brain. Both the structure of our brain as well as the function or the way the brain works are individual to us.
Despite what mental health diagnosis you may have been given the journey that got you to where you are now is exclusively yours. The story of you is one only you can tell. As a psychologist I feel incredibly privileged when someone trusts me enough to share their story. I am fortunate to work with people from all walks of life and hear amazing tales of hard-fought journeys. Mental health problems seem to cross all divides and as a psychologist you realise there are a lot of people in the world who have experienced some incredibly hard times.
What makes a person special?
Well to me it’s the stories of heartbreak and triumph. The dreams and aspirations for a better self, better relationships, and a better world. The simple hopes for a calm life or a happy life. Equally it is the failures and the areas that people feel they have fallen over that make you unique.
You are an expert on you and only you can share your story in all its amazing detail. My job is to help you see the beauty in your story and in the world if this has been taken away from you by life.
One of the main lessons I have learnt as a psychologist is that if bad things happen to you it leads to hard times. There are many factors that play into this equation including supports around you when bad things happen, the resources you have available to you, your own personal reserves and the other experiences you have had in your life. It is through the telling of the story of your hard times that you come to new understandings of the patterns and themes in your life that have led you to where you are today.
How can we help?
Therapy also needs to be tailored to you and to your story. While psychology has identified a range of techniques and skills that can help people feel better these need to be tailored to your needs. You bring your expertise about your situation and I bring my knowledge and expertise of psychology to each session. The role of therapy is to weave these two knowledges together into a plan for your future that will work for you.
Dr Suess said it best when he wrote “today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.”
