Mental health awareness month: Finding Wisdom Within Wounds
The Wounded Healer, an archetype coined by the psychiatrist, Carl Jung, offers a closer connection between healer and seeker. Through experiencing the wound(s), the healer can connect with knowledge and offer empathy and hope to those hurting from their own wound. My own professional origin story deeply resembles a wounded healer narrative and one I honour and share to others.
I have navigated the mental health system or was on a healing journey throughout my life since starting school. I’ve witness violence at home, have had an ongoing relationship with suicidal ideations since age 9, experienced parental loss at age 12, faced multiple forms of relational trauma, and between ages 16-27 have had multiple diagnoses placed on me including: depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and attention deficit disorder. I decided I didn’t want to be a sitting duck for myself or for others so I began pursuing psychology academically by the time I was in high school. I fell in love with the philosophy of “the client being the expert of their own life” through volunteerism which continued my drive. I completed my undergraduate studies, then my masters degree. I was riddled with imposter syndrome - “how can this socially-anxious and seemingly -inept human pursue a career centred around interpersonal engagement?” I thought. Pushing through, I joined group private practices as a Qualifying Registered Psychotherapist. Additionally, I started my own private practice, despite telling myself that it was not a possible option for me as a less-than business-savvy professional. Pushing through again, I moved towards a niche and eventually found I was growing into myself professionally.
Of course, things weren’t so linear. I had experienced much more trauma and heart-ache throughout this timeline and, thankfully, a lot more joy and success than this post can concisely capture. The process towards repair had many points of trial-and-error but through the constant learning, I have developed a deeper understanding of myself and what works for me so that I can still access the full spectrum of life experiences in a more accepting and resilient way.
Why am I telling you this? In part, to take myself off of the therapist pedestal. I’ve been in the mud, struggle to “have my shit together”, and generally live a messy life too. In part, also, because I refuse to be limited by my lived experiences. Yes, I have experienced trauma and have been- and to some degree, still am - influenced by symptoms representing certain diagnoses. However, there is space to grow within, and maybe transcend out of. I hope that through the process of doing the work, I can add more understanding and gentleness into my work and through being witnessed, the experiences of others can feel less shameful, isolating, and limiting. In sharing the story, I want to show that we may be closer together within the journey than it may seem and that I may just be a few (attainable) steps ahead, guiding you through the way. It is constant and consistent work but it is fulfilling work. This is and always will be our first rodeo and I hope you can put your trust in me to support you through it as a fellow human navigating the chaos.
In the meantime, during Mental Health Awareness Month, I hope we can create a brave space to acknowledge and/or share our stories and develop opportunities to learn from and support each other.
Below, I have offered some prompts to start the reflection and dialogue:
Without shame, what stories of wounding and repairing would you share with others?
What shifts occur when we address shame with others?
How have relationships created, dug up, or repaired wounds?
How does embodied self-expression impact emotional well-being?
Through this prompted dialogue, may we create opportunities to acknowledge the pain, to offer space to express what’s difficult, to be open to mutual support, and to celebrate the strength that had been accessed to get us here.
