“I don’t think it worked for me, I just decided to quit.” This is what my client told me after I had worked with him over a couple of sessions. He had come to me for help to quit smoking. I smiled and expressed my joy for his achievement, and wished him well for his future. But, I could not help laughing internally at the irony of his experience.
Like so many of my other clients, he had spent years struggling with addiction. He had tried everything to quit without success. Often clients come to me, like he did, frustrated, and sometimes hopeless. As we work together, many clients don’t notice the subtle subconscious changes my technique facilitates. They begin to feel “normal” and naturally find themselves easily achieving the goals that before seemed unreachable.
My goal with my clients is to help them be their authentic selves. When I see a client make progress they never could before, I could not be happier. The irony is that as they begin to feel normal, natural, and authentic, many of my clients also overlook the change that has taken place. They overlook the significance of the progress they have made. They couldn’t “just [decide] to quit” before, but now they can. What an achievement! Watching my clients achieve their goals is the reason I love what I do. My passion is helping people heal, and sometimes experiences like this are the best compliment I could receive.
The beautiful thing about healing is that, in many ways, it is just about becoming more of your authentic self, and the beautiful thing about being your authentic self is that it is natural and feels great. When life feels natural and authentic, it may also be described as normal, and when something is normal, it is often easy to overlook. I want my clients to be just as proud of their progress as I am. They may not always notice the underlying work we have done together, but I do. I know it worked for them because after years of struggle they finally “just decided to quit”.
