Knowledge Incorporated = Structural Change

A quote that I came upon: “Education does not take place when you learn something you did not know before. Education is your ability to use what you have learned to be better today than you were yesterday.” - Iyanla Vanzant  It is in the therapy office that I see examples of  this statement becoming reinforced over and over again. When clients first come to therapy, the first question I ask them is "what is bringing you to counselling?" It is a good way for me to hear from them, in their own words, what part of their story they are struggling with and through exploration, we are able to begin to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together to work towards resolution and possible change. In order for there to be an element of transformation to that process however, what I like to call structural change will often need to occur. It is about going back to move forward; figuring out how our experiences in our lives have led us to core beliefs and patterns that became ingrained and therefore a part of how we process the world. Through discovery, we can gain an understanding of how something developed, which will guide us into acceptance. Knowledge sets us free; we begin to feel that something has shifted and we can give ourselves permission to move towards not only a deeper healing of those experiences, but to new ways of thinking about ourselves, and then finally, a call toaction, an important step in which we incorporate some new skills into that knowledge. And so, the change becomes structural, a shift in our foundation that finally feels right. :) Photo by Nila Maria on Unsplash