Knowledge reduces anxiety.
Or at least I think so.
When I prepared to move to California to begin graduate studies, I was shivering in my boots (figuratively, and literally…it’s cold in Saskatoon compared to the San Joaquin valley!) I was nervous about moving to another country and putting down roots in an unknown city.
Because of distance, a cousin who lived there volunteered to scout out apartments…and found one that was the right price and distance from the school. The apartment lease was signed, sight unseen…by me.
Not exactly my style…to step into the unknown. I was moving to live in an apartment I had never laid eyes on. It was hard for me, and my anxiety of the magnitude of things unknown grew daily.
I realize this dates me, but it was before the digital age…no photos or videos to instantly send…but the cousin did send up a half dozen photos he snapped and had developed at the photo shop (remember when we had film developed?)
And…ahhhh…I had images of what the apartment I would live in looked like.
Being able to have a picture of where I would live, being able to imagine myself in a space that I knew…well, I can’t say it had my qualms about the big move disappear, but it helped…enormously.
We’re starting a new series of videos around here that will hopefully accomplish the same sort of thing with clients who are considering counselling.
Wouldn’t it be nice to know what your therapist sounds like, how they talk, to see how “normal” they are, to know they are an ordinary person with a special set of skills and with a passion to see people grow?
The first volunteer for this project was Michael Quiring. Michael has been with us for almost 2 years. He takes his craft seriously and loves working with clients. I would say that his desire to be a therapist comes from a deep sense of mission…it’s about wanting to do his part to make the world a better place for people, through the process of careful interaction and deep connection.
Meet Michael:
Michael currently has openings on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays.
Watch for more opportunities to meet the therapists of Bergen and Associates Counselling, up close and personal!
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