Helping our patients to hold space for their perceptions and experiences

Over the years of counseling folks with mood issues, these are some of the patterns I have noticed. 

Some folks have a real hard time holding space for their 5 sensory experiences in the outside world. They can be very hypersensory, sensory seeking in unhealthy ways, and at time, obsessive about what they see, touch, taste, smell, and hear. They can be prone to distractibility or addiction if imbalanced.

Some folks have a real hard time holding space for the uncomfortable feelings of others, and as a result, may have strong urges to respond to the world’s emotional pain and sufferring. If excessive, it can lead to significant compassion fatigue and the tendency to “over rescue” rather than coach.

Some folks have a real hard time holding space for their own internal feelings, and as a result, can lead to a lot of impulsivity, mood fluctuations, and other mood troubles.

Some folks have a real hard time holding space for their own vivid memory of a difficult past or their imagination of a difficult future. This can lead to features of PTSD or anxiety.

I wonder if you have noticed the above in your patients or yourself?

Being aware of the above can guide one to learn and hold space for their particular perceptions and experiences.