Sustaining Wins in Therapy

“Granting ourselves the permission to openly feel the rush of divine inspiration is what we all are worthy of.”

Thomas Goenczi
Lookout contributor

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For the most part, when a psychological achievement or milestone is accomplished (no matter the magnitude), a curiosity about sustaining this mental triumph eventually emerges.

Once this interest blossoms, many emotions unfold petal by petal. They range from unworthiness and inadequacy to enthusiasm and gratitude and everything in between. However, the relentless recognition and confrontation of these emotions is vital in sustaining the efforts once made.

After an accomplishment is secured, a common psychic encounter is facing doubt: doubt that the success made a difference in your life, doubt that you can even sustain it, doubt you can progress past the next impending hurdle. Doubt is neither reasonable nor evil, but rather, it is an evaluation of the situation that you currently face.

Doubt is often viewed negatively; we see it as hindering our growth, an obstacle to reaching our true potential. However, doubt keeps us grounded and allows us to use our critical thinking, question, and get closer to Truth. Yet, it becomes detrimental when we are bound to its narrative, falling victim to its every whim.

Being overly-critical and constantly questioning ourselves can become stunning. This inertia eventually allows unworthiness to kick in and become the new landlord in our lives. This unworthiness shows up in many forms: it can show up in its most basic way through not accepting the joy that comes from an accomplishment, and it can also be a lack of gratitude and appreciation for what we have accomplished so far.

So, how do we bring harmony into our lives after accomplishing a goal in therapy? One of the answers is through enthusiasm. Embodying enthusiasm cannot be easily switched on and off. The word enthusiasm comes from the Greek word enthousiasmos, which means ‘divine inspiration’. To be divinely inspired is the purest form of wonderment and being. A typical example that encapsulates the experience of enthusiasm is the ‘flow state’ that we’ve heard of or read about in pop psychology literature. The term describes a mental state in which a person focuses entirely on a task or activity.

Enthusiasm often seems quick and fleeting, and can feelin like trying to capture lightning in a bottle. And truthfully, that is exactly what enghusiasm feels like once captured – being struck and electrocuted by ecstasy.

One element that leads to enthusiasm is curiosity. To be unyielding in the pursuit that gives you that spark of joy. When it comes to counselling, if we can be curious about what and how we are, we open ourselves to these potential bursts of enthusiasm.

Another element of enthusiasm is permission, permission to allow the feeling. For any reason unique to each individual, we are often inclined to inhibit positive emotions – this ties back to that nagging unworthiness aspect of Self. However, permitting ourselves to feel the rush of divine inspiration openly is what we all are worthy of. We have just as much merit to feel worthy of something as we do to the feeling of worthlessness. We have to claim it for ourselves.

When we can reach in and find enthusiasm for counselling, we set the foundation to see enthusiasm in other life tasks. Using wonderment and openness in this way gives us the nourishing, life-giving joy we all need to live in harmony for ourselves and those around us.

Thomas Goenczi is an RCN Veteran and MA Clinical Counsellor with Private Practice: Well Then Therapy.

The content is not intended to substitute professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding your condition.