How Therapy Creates Space for Change
When we begin therapy, it’s common to hope for relief, ease, and clarity. While therapy can bring those things, the process of getting there often involves a stage that can feel surprising: discomfort.
Many clients ask, “Why does this feel harder before it feels better?” The answer is that discomfort is not a sign of failure—it is often a sign that meaningful change is taking place.
Why Discomfort Shows Up in Therapy
Therapy invites us to look at emotions, beliefs, and experiences we may have learned to avoid. Sitting with these parts of ourselves can feel unfamiliar, tender, or even overwhelming at first. This discomfort is natural—it means we are stepping outside of old patterns and beginning to engage with life in new ways.
The Role of Discomfort in Growth
Just as physical exercise challenges the body to become stronger, emotional discomfort in therapy challenges the mind and heart to expand. Within this process, discomfort can open the door to:
Awareness – Recognizing patterns, emotions, and narratives that shape our lives.
Choice – Discovering new ways of responding instead of repeating old habits.
Expansion – Building resilience, deepening self-understanding, and strengthening relationships.
Moving Through Discomfort with Support
The key difference in therapy is that you are not navigating this process alone. With the support of a trusted therapist, discomfort becomes a safe space to explore, rather than something to avoid. Over time, what once felt challenging can transform into clarity, self-compassion, and growth.
If you are experiencing discomfort in therapy, it does not mean something is wrong. It means you are engaging in the work of healing. With patience, courage, and support, discomfort can be the very pathway that leads to meaningful and lasting change.
At Juno Counselling, we offer a compassionate and supportive space to walk alongside you in your journey. If this message resonates, we warmly invite you to reach out whenever you feel ready to take the next step.
You don’t have to do this alone. Book a free consultation to to discuss how we can do this together
Things I’ve Learned as a Therapist Who also Goes to Therapy
As a therapist, I’m often in the position of offering support, holding space, and helping others process their experiences. But I also go to therapy myself regularly. And doing so has taught me just as much—if not more—about what it means to show up with presence, compassion, and honesty.
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned on the other side of the couch.
1. Insight doesn’t replace emotion
Even when I can name what I’m feeling or understand the roots of my reactions, that doesn’t mean the emotions go away. Therapy reminds me that understanding and feeling can coexist—and both are valid. Making space for my own emotional experience, instead of trying to analyze or bypass it, is part of the healing work.
2. Healing doesn’t make me immune
There’s a misconception that therapists have it “figured out,” but I still face my own struggles. I still get triggered. Healing doesn’t mean I stop being human—it means I relate to myself differently when the hard moments come. Going to therapy helps me receive the supports I need when I’m having a hard time or just need some guidance to gain clarity and make decisions. It also helps me understand different phases of myself as I go through life.
3. Receiving care is a practice
I’ve learned that receiving care takes courage. It’s not always easy to let myself be seen or supported, especially when I’m used to being on the other side. Therapy challenges me to soften, to trust, and to be honest about my own needs—without shame.
4. Progress often looks quiet
Growth doesn’t always feel like a breakthrough. Sometimes it looks like staying present through discomfort, setting a boundary a little sooner, or responding with more self-compassion than I could before. Sometimes it takes a while to look back and realize the progress and the changes that’s already happened. These shifts may be small, but they’re deeply meaningful.
5. Therapy isn’t about fixing—because I’m not broken
What I’ve come to believe is that therapy isn’t about changing who I am. It’s about meeting myself with more curiosity, kindness, and clarity. It’s about honoring what I’ve lived through and giving myself permission to move forward with intention.
6. Going to therapy is an act of self-love
Choosing to be in therapy isn’t a sign that I’m falling apart—it’s a sign that I value my wellbeing. Showing up for myself, even when it’s uncomfortable, is a form of self-respect. It’s a commitment to care, not perfection.
Being a therapist who goes to therapy doesn’t make me less capable—it makes me more human. It reminds me, again and again, that holding space for others starts with learning how to hold space for myself.
If you're in your own process of healing, growth, or self-discovery, know that you're not alone. Therapy can be a place to reconnect—with yourself, your values, and your capacity to navigate whatever comes next.
Values as life compass
Values as compass
Values As Your Life Compass: Finding Direction from Within
In a world that constantly demands our attention and pulls us in many directions, it can be easy to lose sight of who we are and what truly matters to us. This is where values come in—not as rules or goals, but as inner compasses that guide us through life’s complexity with more clarity and intention.
What Are Values?
Values are the foundations we build our lives upon. They’re not about what we “should” do, but what feels most aligned with our truth. They shape our decisions, our relationships, and the paths we choose to walk. Whether it’s connection, creativity, freedom, honesty, or compassion—our values reflect what makes life meaningful to us.
When we are rooted in our values, we move through the world with more integrity and purpose. We make choices that feel authentic, even when the road is uncertain or difficult.
Feeling Lost? You’re Not Alone
Without a clear sense of our values, it’s common to feel adrift—like we’re living according to other people’s expectations or measuring our worth by external achievements. Life can begin to feel directionless, or like we’re constantly reacting instead of consciously choosing.
This isn’t a personal failing. It's often a sign that we’re disconnected from what truly matters to us.
Direction Starts from Within
Taking the time to explore and name your values can be a powerful act of self-discovery. It’s about turning inward and asking:
What do I care most deeply about?
What qualities or experiences help me feel most alive?
When have I felt proud, fulfilled, or aligned—and what values were present in those moments
This kind of reflection isn’t always easy, especially in a fast-paced culture. But it’s worth it. When we know what we stand for, we can better navigate uncertainty, set boundaries, and move toward a life that feels more like ours.
But reconnecting with our values invites us to live with more honesty, self-trust, and intention. It’s not about having all the answers, but about creating a steady inner compass to return to—especially when life feels uncertain or overwhelming.
When we move from our values, we may still face challenges, but we do so from a place that feels more rooted in who we are. And that, in itself, is a powerful way to find direction.
balancing act - recharge or preserve our energy
Some days feel like a constant output of energy—responding to demands, juggling roles, navigating emotions, and simply trying to keep up. We tell ourselves to rest when we can. Maybe we carve out a moment on the couch or take a short walk, but it doesn’t always feel like it’s working. We still feel tired.
That’s because rest alone doesn’t always equal restoration.
In times like these, we might need a shift in approach: not just recharging after the fact, but preserving energy as we move through our day.
Preservation Is a Quiet Practice
Preserving energy is an intentional act. It’s about creating small, mindful pauses throughout the day to check in with yourself. It might look like saying no to something you don’t have capacity for, setting a gentle boundary, or releasing the pressure to do everything all at once.
It’s not about withdrawing from life, but about being more thoughtful with how we engage. When we prioritize what matters most and let go of what doesn’t, we make space to be present in a way that feels more sustainable.
Recharge Requires Space to Nourish
Recharging isn’t something we can force in a 15-minute break between meetings. It often requires intentional space—emotionally, physically, and mentally.
True nourishment might be slowing down enough to notice how you feel, choosing activities that restore (not deplete), or reconnecting with something that brings ease or comfort. What’s restorative for one person may be different for another. The key is tuning in to what replenishes you—not just what numbs or distracts.
The Ongoing Balance
Balancing preservation and recharging isn’t a one-time fix—it’s an ongoing, responsive process. Some days call for slowing down; others for saying no; and sometimes, for carving out moments to breathe and come back to yourself.
There’s no perfect formula. But when we listen inward, we often know what’s needed.
Energy is a precious thing. The way we care for it—moment to moment—can shape how we move through the world.
Caring for your energy is an act of self-respect. Whether you're in a season of doing or one of slowing down, giving yourself permission to pause, preserve, and replenish is not selfish—it’s necessary. The balance will shift day by day, but returning to yourself with intention can help you move through life with more steadiness and ease.
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