Human Flourishing

Who among us doesn't wrestle at some point with hope that things can get better? It's important to know that if you become one of my clients, I will hold so much hope for you. For starters, I’m for human flourishing over and above temporary pain relief. A lot of clients start counseling because they are hurting and need help. As humans, when we are uncomfortable it can be hard to think about anything beyond our pain. It can be overwhelming. When I ask clients what would be different for them if counseling “worked,” they often say something like, “I would be happier” or “I would be less depressed.”

While this is understandable to want to hurt or struggle less, I definitely hope for a lot more than that for my clients.

I hope for a more meaningful existence and the strength to face hard things and not lose themselves. I hope for the courage to be honest with themselves and others and to authentically experience their joy and their pain with integrity. I hope for a fuller and richer sense of self and the ability to be generous and to take risks. I hope for humor and playfulness! I hope for freedom, curiosity and creativity. In other words, I hope for human flourishing over and above symptom relief.

There’s no short path to human flourishing and there’s no painless path. But we don’t have to go through it alone. There is deep meaning in the struggle and I consider it a great privilege to walk with my clients on the journey.

-Joelle P