Acceptance

I remember a time when virtual therapy seemed like a fringe specialization. I can’t recall who, but one of my professors in grad school briefly mentioned online therapy as alternative method to deliver therapeutic services. And honestly, we were judgmental.

The thought of taking a service largely based on establishing a therapeutic connection online seemed……strange! After all, how can you build a solid emotional connection when you’re not even in the same room as your client?!

And then something kind of big happened in the world. I got a slack message from my group practice supervisor at the time instructing us that we would be moving online. Effective immediately. For 2 weeks. Or, 18 months, maybe?

So, over the next couple of weeks, my closet became my office. The early days were quite interesting, trying to figure out where to look and how to screen share! But we all found our groove. (And now, over 5 years later, I can’t imagine therapy without the virtual option!)

Therapists got creative, y’all. We were popping up on TikTok, IG, Facebook, anywhere and everywhere! At some point, I received the message that if I wanted to remain relevant, I needed a social media presence.

Over time, I launched an IG page and Facebook business page. I created cutesy posts. And then I waited.

It turns out that I hated maintaining a social media presence. I wasn’t good at it, I didn’t enjoy it, and mostly, I didn’t see a benefit to my clients and/or the general public.

Don’t get me wrong- there’s nothing inherently wrong with using social media to establish a personal or professional presence! Some of my favorite follows are fellow therapists. I share and engage with their content on a daily basis! But I had to be honest with myself. This wasn’t going to work long term.

We all do things that we don’t enjoy. But we also have to acknowledge when we’re trying to force something that’s not meant to be. So, I abruptly deleted my IG page (sorry to my 30-ish followers, lol). And then I discerned what WOULD work for my solo private practice.

Acceptance allows us to:

Reclaim our valuable time

Stop forcing what’s not meant to be

Relax

Notice experiences that are more aligned to our true selves

Here are some things that I’ll invite you to consider accepting:

If I’m late, others may or may not form an opinion of me. That’s their choice.

If I decline the invitation, others might be upset or disappointment. That’s their right.

If I’m honest, others might become angry or upset. That’s up to them.

If I put myself out there, others might reject me. That’s their decision.

Control shouts for us to make it happen by any means necessary.

Acceptance is an inside voice, an invitation to consider what’s already happening and how you’d like to respond.

This blog post does not take the place of working with a licensed professional- please seek professional help as needed.