Erickson's Counseling Column
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The following opinions expressed by Scott M. Erickson are his own and do not officially represent the views of the American Counseling Association or the Wyoming Mental Health Professions Licensing Board. The expression of these opinions does not constitute a real or implied counselor-client relationship.
The most rewarding thing I experience as a counselor is being part of my client’s choices to empower their best selves. I was recently asked what exactly this means. It might be helpful to first consider the idea that the whole of our personality is made up of different parts.
Empowering our best selves is giving intentional focus and energy to the parts of us that make up our true identity and letting go of the parts of us that are built upon our fears and the invalidating messages we have received from others.
Our best self includes the parts of us that are noble and skillful and which create and strengthen meaningful relationships with others.
In religious traditions, we may talk about strengthening the spirit or spiritual self. In our free Skills Class on Saturdays we discuss tuning in to our Wisemind, the intuitive sense of being able to synthesize reason and emotion. In meditation, we may talk about cultivating the “witness” or the part of us that intentionally lives in the ever-present now. These are simply other ways to express the ideal, “Empower Your Best Self.”
The goal is to recognize and replicate the moments when our best selves shine through. We then attempt to string together these moments to increase in frequency until many and hopefully most of our moments reflect our genuine and true identities, our best selves.
A critical component of this journey is developing the skill to be able to acknowledge shortcomings without shame and to gently respond to such struggles with the guts to get up and give it another shot despite the embarrassment of being imperfect.
Scott M. Erickson is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Kemmerer who has provided counseling services in southwest Wyoming for the last eleven years. Erickson’s mission is to “be a dynamic catalyst helping you to empower your best self.” He can be reached at his website www.scottthecounselor.com or his Facebook page: Erickson Counseling & Coaching LLC.
