On a pathway above the rocks and beach, large layers of erosion are clearly evident as depicted with these exposed tree roots so close to the trail’s edge. The dry and brittle roots extend outward in all directions, as if in a desperate and last attempt to find fertile soil amidst this barren land. As one would anticipate, rest and safety may likely feel remote on this dangerous cliff.

When it comes to early wounding that may occur during our prenatal and birth experiences – and may extend beyond into childhood, adolescence and adulthood, some of us may relate to this treacherous edge with its hanging tree-root suspensions. If our early days in life are not rooted in a deep sense of feeling welcomed into this world and if we don’t experience the emotional and physical nurturing that we long for during our very early life, we may feel frightened and unsafe on many levels and carry these fears onward in various degrees through life. I am saddened when listening to someone articulate a particular fear while in the presence of others who seemingly minimize and dismiss this one’s fear, whether so subtle or blatant.

Another piece of the wounding may be that no one “consciously (to be defined over time) knew that the wounding was occurring when it happened, thus leaving the one who is wounded with the sense of feeling so alone in it. A healing component may surface when the person feels met by another, a delicate experience filled with gentleness and compassion. When a client shares their wounding experiences in a carefully contained counseling session where creating safety for such sharing is paramount, the client may experience a sense that they are no longer alone in it by themselves, but that there is now increased containment from a shared-witness perspective. Thus, the wounding that originally occurred while in relationship, is now gently met, and on a road toward healing – while in relationship.

As we increase our awareness for the ways in which we may carry our early woundings forward into our life, we may begin to create open spaces for compassion for ourselves, as well as, for those with whom we lend a listening ear as they share their wounding storylines. Wounding occurs while in relationship and is healed while in relationship. May we be open to the healing properties that are available to us in our relationships such that we may enjoy the fruits of rest, relaxation and consious living.

30 Aug This entry was published on August 30, 2014 at 10:27 AM. It’s filed under counseling, health, mental health, therapy, wellness and tagged healing, relaxation, wounding. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.