James Norwood

It never ceases to amaze me how difficult life can be, even in the best of circumstances. How do people weather the conditions of a life that is so often plagued by loss, disappointment, broken-heartedness, grief, and eventual death? We don’t often talk about these issues in ordinary conversation, but they are the conditions of every person’s life. But, however amazing the difficulty of life is, equally incredible is the way people can grieve the most trying circumstances, find their footing, and forge their way to a life of passion and happiness.

No one can say how it is that any person might find their way through the trials of their life to their version of happiness, unless in the vaguest possible terms. That is why therapy must be so personal, because the pursuit of happiness involves coming to terms with the suffering in one’s life so that one can unearth their most fervent desires. A task easier said than done. Afterall, to pursue what one wants, even to acknowledge it, exposes one to the risk of disappointment. No wonder so many have learned to suppress their experiences and consequently feel lost and unsure of themselves.

I think it is often with a person that we trust and confide in that we can confront the experiences that challenge us most. Perhaps that is because having someone with us gives us courage or it may be that the other person helps us see more clearly what we would not have been able to consider before. I try to be that sort of companion with my patients, someone they can trust to listen with care to what they say, someone who helps them think things through, and someone who supports them in finding the life they want for themselves.