Member-only story
Getting it Right… MOST of the time
What do I want to be an expert at? Being intuitive. Getting it. After all, I am a therapist, and that’s important. Often in a session a client will be trying to express a complex thought or feeling, but I can tell they’re struggling to say precisely what they mean. Or they might say, “Does that make sense?” I try to rephrase it in a way that I think is closer to what they were intending to say, and ask, “Is that it?” The most rewarding response I can get to that question is, “Exactly!” Their eyes light up and they show a sense of relief, of the expansiveness that goes with being understood.
“Exactly,” is a word I thrive on. I feel in tune with someone and they confirm that they feel that too. It’s kind of a high, because it means I’m doing my job well. I’m doing it! When I hear the word “exactly” and see that look of recognition, my whole system lights up. If you could see inside my brain, there would be fireworks going off. I feel like a gymnast must feel when she is in the middle of her routine, it’s going exactly as practiced, and she just knows she’s not going to falter. She’s got this.
I thrive on “exactly’s” but I never want to be fed false ones. The game is no good without total honesty. If I didn’t hit on what you meant in a way that completely resonates, please don’t tell me I did. When a client responds to my interpretation with, “No…” or “Kind of…
