When words get in the way

Have you ever read a book and found yourself re-reading a line twice, three times… maybe more, because something about it resonates in a way that it feels as if it’s speaking to you?

When I read the top paragraph (taken from Maybe, Possibly, Perhaps by Joanna Glen) I was struck by the familiarity of the feeling. Sometimes words can feel like barriers to showing another how we feel. We might not have the language to articulate what we want them to hear, feel scared of the words being misunderstood or even fearful of the other’s response. Being turned inside out would show the other person all of what we’re thinking; the contradictions, the fears and the strength of feeling. Perhaps that way we’d feel able to be truly understood. And what a powerful feeling that can be.

Therapy is a place to be understood. A place where together we can find the right words (and the wrong ones to know when they don’t feel quite the right fit). Where you can explore the contradictions of your feelings, the nuance that isn’t always easy to understand, even for yourself.

Because life isn’t black and white, and we don’t always have the words. But we do have the feelings, and finding a way to speak them out loud can provide understanding and relief.

[text reads: As he says it, a prickly feeling of unease runs over him because the words he’s saying don’t match anything he’s feeling - and he wishes that he could turn himself inside out and that she could see the truth of him without words getting in the way.]