09/11/2025
Being with. ✨
A phrase I come back to again and again, both in my own life and in the therapy room. Not because it’s simple or neat (it really isn’t), but because it matters.
For most of us, the instinct when something painful shows up is to move away from it—fix it, explain it, outwork it, distract ourselves until it passes. And this makes sense. Our nervous systems are wired for survival, and those patterns probably kept us safe at some point. But what once worked often starts to feel heavy or clunky later on.
“Being with” asks something different. It’s about gently turning toward what’s happening inside rather than stepping over it or shutting it down. Not to analyse it or make it disappear, but to notice. To stay. To offer a little curiosity.
Sometimes that looks like placing a hand over your chest, taking one slower breath, or catching yourself in the middle of a perfectionist spiral and saying, “I see you. We don’t have to do it this way anymore.”
It’s slow work, and often imperfect. But over time, these tiny moments of presence soften the old grooves and make space for something new to grow.
I’d love to hear what helps you stay present when things feel overwhelming.
