The Healing Journey: How Inner Growth Affects Our Relationships
By Leona Kashersky, PsyD
©️5/15/23
Embarking on a healing journey is a powerful and transformative experience that can completely change the way we see ourselves and the world around us. It requires courage, self-love, and a willingness to embrace change. While the focus of the healing journey is often on the inner work that needs to be done, the impact it has on our outer relationships is often overlooked.
As we grow and evolve, the people in our lives may not always keep up with our transformation. They may still see us as the person we used to be, and continue to treat us accordingly. This can be a challenging and frustrating experience, as we navigate the new dynamics of our relationships.
It's important to remember that it's okay to outgrow relationships that no longer serve us. As we heal and become more aligned with our true selves, we may find that certain relationships feel draining or toxic. This is a natural part of the healing process, and it's okay to let go of relationships that no longer support our growth.
Letting go is not an easy task, especially when it comes to people in our lives. It takes a lot of courage and self-awareness to stand in our center and communicate our needs and boundaries to others. Often, we may find ourselves in situations where we feel undervalued or disrespected, but we hesitate to speak up because we fear losing the people we care about.
However, it is crucial to recognize that the relationships we have with others should not come at the cost of our own health. When we prioritize the needs of others over our own, we may find ourselves feeling drained, overwhelmed, and emotionally exhausted.
Teaching others how to treat us differently is not about being selfish or demanding. It's about respecting our own boundaries and communicating those boundaries in a clear and compassionate way. When we communicate our needs to others, we provide them with an opportunity to understand us better and adjust their behavior accordingly. This can lead to a more fulfilling and respectful relationship for both involved.
It's important to keep in mind that not everyone will be willing to make the necessary adjustments. It can be painful to realize that some relationships may not survive our healing journey. However, it's important to remember that healing can also mean learning to say goodbye. We need to surround ourselves with people who respect and value us for who we are and support our growth and wellness.
As such, letting go is a difficult but necessary part of the healing journey. It takes courage to stand in our center and communicate our needs and boundaries to others. By teaching others how to treat us differently, we can create more fulfilling and respectful relationships that support our growth and well-being.
This can be a painful experience, but it's important to remember that we deserve to be treated with love and respect. If someone is not willing to honor our boundaries and support our process, it may be time to say ciao.
As we navigate our healing journey, it's important to cultivate self-love and compassion for ourselves and others. We may not always get the support we need from the people around us, but we can always be there for ourselves. With each step we take towards healing, we become more aligned with our true selves, and our relationships will naturally evolve and shift to reflect that growth.
In conclusion, it is important to recognize that letting go of close, yet toxic relationships and cultivating personal growth can be a challenging journey. It requires courage to assertively communicate our needs and boundaries to others, especially those who have been a part of our lives for a long time. However, it is crucial to set these boundaries in order to foster healthy relationships and promote emotional well-being. In therapy, it is the clinician’s duty to guide and support clients through this journey, providing them with the tools and techniques they need to integrate the past, releasing and/or gaining distance from harmful relationships and move forward with strength and resilience. By empowering clients to cultivate courage, clinicians can help them overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of their healing.
References
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