Today my postcards flew to Switzerland. They embarked on a journey anticipating to interact with other stories on their final destination. Each postcard carries already a unique story. It is written with compassion, insight and playfulness for most of my clients who ask for my psychological help.
The story lands in session and invites the client to become the reader. I become the audience. While listening, I connect myself in a new way with my client, with his/her story, with the story I have written for him/her and with my personal story. All these processes create an evocative context, add new meanings and set the scene for genuine interactions during therapy.
During the procedure the client is also encouraged to become the writer. He/She is asked to keep writing without having specific guidelines of how to do this. What is always impressive is the creativity in us all and our capacity to transform our authenticity through words. I have collected valuable written material since I have started applying the method of story writing in my practice.
My clients become my Muses. My clients become my Influencers. It is not only the written pieces we exchange while sessions pass by. It is the process of moving deeper in our relation while we open up to our authenticity by using our artistic spirit. It is the context of trust in which we let our truths flourish. It is the real playing between two human beings who have found each other and moved beyond acquaintance. It is our deep desire to come close, to co-exist.
In a similar way that the stories co-exist with the postcards. They create a space for more processes to shine. The images on every postcard invite the observes for more introspection and risk taking. I regard them as small pieces of art. I use them in therapy and in trainings. I also use them, when I want to stimulate my inspiration. It has been fascinating that I keep discovering new functions for the postcards.
One of them is to use them as an introductory exercise in the beginning of my trainings. Participants choose by chance a postcard, take a moment to figure out if they identify themselves with the image and the quote they see and then share what arises in them with the rest of the group. Instead of starting with cliché statements, such as “Hello! My name is Stavroula, I work as a therapist in Athens…” and so on, I give myself permission to say what the postcard I hold in my hands evokes in me. It takes courage to speak outside the comfort zone that cliché statements offer us. However, this is the point where magic happens. When we start stepping toward our genuineness.
I love getting to know genuine people willing to let their curiosity guide them. I feel lucky to have met dear colleagues from all over the world with whom we share our common passion for personal and professional growth. Aaron and Betty are among them. I am writing this post to honor their trust in the postcards. I let my gratitude slip in the box and looking forward to knowing how unboxing will create new metaphors.
