It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly. Lightly my darling…
― Aldous Huxley

When life throws us unexpected challenges, therapy serves as a guiding light for transformation. Amidst the unpredictable twists and turns, we often find ourselves engulfed in uncertainty, with the ground slipping from beneath our feet. Haunted by past regrets and depleted of self-help resources, we grapple with a profound sense of purposelessness. In these moments, we may feel isolated, with no one to confide in or share our burdens. Yet, with courage and respect, we turn to therapy, confronting ourselves honestly and gently.

Suffering takes various forms, each with its own intensity and rhythm. These distressing voids compel us to stay present with ourselves. Are you feeling overwhelmed, constantly stressed, or perpetually fatigued? Does sleep evade you, emotions churn, and connections fray? The looming fear of panic strains relationships, marked by recurrent ruptures.

The impact of suffering extends across diverse communities, leaving its distinctive mark on those who are racialized, gender-diverse, or neurodivergent. Do you feel vulnerable for not fitting into the mainstream? Do you sense exposure because of your differences? Do you carry the weight of intergenerational trauma or systemic inequalities and oppression?

By embracing therapy, we recognize that the discomfort of remaining closed off surpasses the fear of vulnerability. As Anais Nin aptly expressed, we truly blossom when the desire to open up outweighs the pain of staying closed.