My Therapy Journey

I used to have a recurring dream for years which was always set in a house: a house with many rooms and corridors, curtained off areas and, in particular, many staircases. Some were winding, some just a couple of steps up or down. It always felt amazing to be in this space. A sense of curiosity would come over me as I walked about this house looking at the velvet drapes and the old wooden doors and passages. There was an air of anticipation, excitement and of possibilities. But the dream would always stop there. I always woke up before I got the chance to explore.

I heard that dreaming of buildings and houses in particular was a representation of us as people – the untapped potential and hidden places we had not yet gone to. This never really made sense to me until I started on my counselling journey. I use the word “journey” advisedly. I used to think of counselling as a bit of a mission – a bit like I used to think about how to manage my house! Jobs to be done, things to be fixed, stuff to be sorted and re-arranged.

But each time I revisited therapy, the idea of the journey and exploring made more sense to me. Each time, I got to unpick more aspects of my life and see new perspectives. Often, it was the same material which came up; but always from a different view point, in a different light, with the new knowledge and information layered on top of it.

This journey continues on and to my mind, will always do so. With it comes a sense of growth, a sense of expansion of mind and a freedom which was not there before. The connections make better sense, the threads come together and make the picture clearer and brighter for me. Like I have opened doors, pulled down drapes and had a proper look around.