Among my many interests are spending time in nature, and running.  I particularly enjoy running in nature, as I find this to be very peaceful and cathartic.  I am also big into language and symbolism, and the ways in which meaning can be derived from the interweaving of words and images.  In searching for a name for my counseling practice, I wanted to find a way to incorporate all of these things.  

There is a local trail that I run on consistently by where I live.  It’s surrounded primarily by large trees and other greenery, all of which creates a very thick and comforting backdrop of nature to the experience of running.  There is one particular spot on the trail where I always slow down, or even come to a complete stop at, as the treeline comes to a pause, and makes way for a brief clearing.  In this space, the sun comes cascading through the trail, and falls upon a small and open field of green.  In this space, this clearing, there is light, there is openness, there is peace, and there is freedom.  It is a space where I can pause, admire, and reflect.  It is also a space where I can be more present with myself, more attuned to myself, and more accepting of myself. 

As someone who has experienced therapy both from the therapist side, as well as from the client side, I believe therapy is about making a journey, traversing through your own mental and emotional wilderness where it can often feel darker, more constricting, more bustling, and more tangled, and eventually, with continued time, on-going care, and growing trust, moving into a space—a clearing—that can often feel lighter, more open, more peaceful, and freer. 

Ultimately, I believe this is the process of therapy—entering into the wilderness of your own life and inner world, and slowly, but eventually, finding your way…Into the Clearing.