– Holding Less Tightly: Therapy in Nashville, TN

Last Updated on August 11, 2024 by Chris Roberts

By: Chris Roberts, MACP, LPC-MHSP (Licensed Professional Counselor) Two Trees Counseling Nashville

 

The Moment

By: Margaret Atwood

 

The moment when, after many years

of hard work and a long voyage

you stand in the centre of your room,

house, half-acre, square mile, island, country,

knowing at last how you got there,

and say, I own this,

 

is the same moment when the trees unloose

their soft arms from around you,

the birds take back their language,

the cliffs fissure and collapse,

the air moves back from you like a wave

and you can’t breathe.

 

No, they whisper. You own nothing.

You were a visitor, time after time

climbing the hill, planting the flag, proclaiming.

We never belonged to you.

You never found us.

It was always the other way round. (p. 134)

 

It could be said that with human beings there can be no separation, only a threat of separation.

• D. W. Winnicott

 

I’m going to take a break from discussing our previous topics about metabolization.  In this article, I want to discuss the importance and power of poetry.

POETRY AS A FORM OF REFLECTION AND METABOLIZATION (AND MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY)     

One of the functions of poetry is that is causes us to slow down, to reflect, and to expand our mind without extra words.  Poetry says a lot without having to use a lot of sentences and words and paragraphs.  Poetry creates images in our minds, and as such, forces us to use our imagination and our creativity.  At it’s best, it causes us to connect to our soul, to the embodied places within us that are so easily lost these days.

What do you picture in your mind as you read this poem?  Read it at least 3 times…slowly 🙂  What stories do you notice you make up in your head?  What images get lodged in your brain as you read through it?  Can you see the birds?  What color are they?  How many are there?  What is the sky like in the background of the birds?  What does the weather feel like?  It’s incredible how many things we make up, instantly, when we stop and reflect on what’s actually happening around us, and in this case, in our minds. 

What does “the birds take back their language” mean to you?  How do you picture it in your mind’s eye?  How does this statement make sense to you?  This is clearly a metaphor, but what feeling does it stir up in you?  Do the birds seem selfish or punishing?

If you’ve read through the last 3 or 4 articles I’ve published, you should get a sense of how working with poetry is very linked to the kind of metabolization and reflection I’ve been discussing when we are attempting to work through conflict with our loved ones.  Taking time to reflect, to slow down, to notice all the contours of the world around us, but especially the contours of our own mind are essential to being able to process conflict in a healthy manner.  Our minds run at warp speed, and if we aren’t aware of what’s being stirred up within our minds, we can unintentionally create patterns of responding that don’t fully incorporate all that’s being processed in each and every moment.

HOW DOES THIS CONNECT TO MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY (PSYCHOTHERAPY) IN TENNESSEE?

Mental health therapy in Nashville, TN has so many benefits, but one of the most often over-looked benefits is simply the reality of taking 50 minutes to slow down, to reflect on our lives, to have another person’s undivided attention on the details of our lives, and helping us make sense of our lives.  We don’t necessarily need a 50 minute therapy appointment to do this!  But, unfortunately, most of us run such full and intense lives, that we aren’t good at taking the time to slow down and simply reflect on our thoughts and our experiences and especially in the presence of another person.

When is the last time you’ve taken a set amount of time (20 minutes, or 10 minutes, or even 5 minutes) to slow down, remove all distractions, and reflect, in a calm and compassionate and curious way, about your life?  For most of us, we NEVER do this!  And in many ways, I understand that it’s not a normal or realistic thing to do.  And it’s precisely why I think poetry can be such a helpful tool for bringing down the volume and intensity and rigor to our lives.

Mental health therapy in Nashville at Two Trees Counseling does more than simply offer a place for us to slow down, disconnect, and reflect on our lives.  A good therapist will push back on us, help us dig deeper, not let us get away with unhealthy actions or mindsets, and give us opportunities to face fears that we are avoiding or repressing.  So, I don’t want to give a false impression that mental health therapy is ONLY slowing down and reflecting and disconnecting.  But also, if, especially in the beginning or at intermittent times, the ONLY thing therapy provides is a space to do those things, then it is still giving us an incredible benefit that we might overlook or take for granted.

PSYCHOTHERAPY TO HELP US UNDERSTAND OUR HUMANITY

As a little thought exercise, I added a quote by one of the most famous and brilliant psychotherapists of the 20^th century D.W. Winnicott.  Mental health well being has come into focus the last 20 or 30 years, so I imagine if you are reading this article, you’ve heard something of the notion of attachment, or co-dependency, or “letting go.” (Thank you Frozen for getting that song stuck in our heads forever.)  He puts a brilliant (and thought-provoking) spin on our common understanding of being connected, or not being connected, to those around us, especially our loved ones.  At it’s core, mental health therapy and counseling are simply our collective best efforts at helping us understand and being better at loving and allowing ourselves to be loved.  It’s an interesting thought.  And if it helped you slow down and reflect and engage your imagination about these topics, then it did its job 🙂

FINDING MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY IN NASHVILLE AND GREEN HILLS, TN

If you are considering therapy in Nashville, then Chris Roberts at Two Trees Counseling would love the opportunity to speak with you.  Chris has over 15 years working with individuals and couples in helping them achieve more of the life they are wanting in Nashville, Tennessee.  You can reach out to Chris at chris@nashvillecounselor.net or by calling directly at (615) 800-9260.