Why I Embrace the Word 'Healing'

I’ve noticed lately some discussions on the use of the word ‘healing’ in terms of mental health, with some criticism for this word generally pertaining to the idea that a perpetual quest for healing may be unhealthy as we will never be fully ‘healed’. 

I hear that and respect that there is a part of this that is very true. As has been said by many others before, we are not a continual self-improvement project and there is not an end goal in terms of who we are becoming. We are constantly evolving and changing. Within this, old wounds can be triggered again by new circumstances, at which time we need absolute grace and self-compassion for those parts of ourselves, not expecting to ever be so ‘healed’ we are completely unaffected. That expectation would not honor our humanness and might indicate other concerns. 

Personally and professionally, I fully identify with the word ‘healing’ from my own mental health journey and therefore incorporate it into my practice whole heartedly. Are all parts of us ever going to be fully ‘healed’ from all of the wounds of our past? Maybe not, but I believe from my own experience that we can be a hell of a lot more healed than we once were and be grounded in the process of recovering from the emotional wounding of our past, which I think is an incredibly beautiful thing.

To me, saying we are ‘healing’ parts of ourselves or feeling we have healed from some of our old wounds does not mean that we were injured and we are now leaving the gaping wound open and bleeding and pretending it isn’t there, nor does it mean that we are stuck staring at that wound forever throughout this process. Instead it means that we can in fact treat and heal our emotional wounds and past injuries just as we can with our physical wounds, by acknowledging them and utilizing the tools available to us. There is no right or exact way to do this, everyones recovery process can be different, but it is fully possible. To me that is incredibly empowering. 

Further, as a mental health professional, I believe our job is to assist in this process. It is not your job to stitch up your own physical wounds and it doesn’t have to be your job to heal your own emotional wounds alone either. Although our past experiences will continue to shape and effect us, I know I would prefer a faint scar over a gaping wound and that I have both experienced this myself and seen this process unfold for so many clients over the years, where those wounds slowly heal and they are able to move forward with their lives. This is a journey I believe is worth working toward and love to help others through. 

For more information on scheduling a therapy session focused on healing from past trauma in Greenville, South Carolina, please contact me below. I look forward to speaking with you soon!

*This website (healingvalleyscounseling.com) and the information it contains are not a substitute for therapy. This site is not meant to provide treatment advice, only to share general psychoeducational information. Please see the disclaimer section for more information.