For many of us, crossing into the New Year marks an important shift. It’s an opportunity to start fresh, reflect, let go of the things that weren’t so great about the past year, set our intentions for the year ahead, and recommit to the things we value most.
And while I’m a big supporter of setting intentions, whether it’s for the year ahead or even just for this moment, I know how hard it can be to follow through with our intentions once we’ve set them. It’s so easy to make these big plans for ourselves and believe that this year will be different – this year we will make the changes we want to see in our lives.
The trouble is that we have no idea what the year ahead has in store for us. 2018 might be the best year of your life so far, with endless opportunities and personal victories, or it might involve a lot of uphill battles and unfair obstacles. There’s no way of knowing!
That’s why this year, I’ll be setting an intention that is practically foolproof, regardless of what happens in life – good or bad. This intention isn’t about changing something about myself. It isn’t about making a promise that I may or may not be able to keep. That’s why I’m calling it an intention, and not a resolution.
My intention for 2018 is simply to learn.
To get to know myself even more, discover new resources within myself, become aware of my patterns of relating to others, what past events might have lead me to be this way, and how I want to shape my future.
And my plan for following through with this intention is to continue my personal learning process through an ongoing commitment to being in therapy.
I can honestly say that being in therapy has taught me more about life than years of schooling ever could have. The more I learn about myself, the richer my life becomes, and the better I get at following through with my goals. Since starting therapy, the quality of my relationships have improved across the board, my ability to make changes in my life has continued to develop, and with each new resources I come to know in myself, the better I am at helping others discover their own.
And while I know that not everyone’s intentions for the next year are the same as my own, I would argue that being in therapy would be helpful in accomplishing almost every goal, intention, or resolution that you wish to set.
Obviously, being a therapist myself means that I’d love for you to engage with some of the services I offer. But I also know that finding the right therapist or type of psychotherapy makes a huge difference in how effective the therapy will be. That’s why I’m also happy to refer you on to one of the many skilled and compassionate therapists I know, either in Canada or the UK.
If you do decide you’d like to try Dance Movement Therapy with me, there are many ways for you to do so – whether it’s a free individual trial session, attending the open day for our weekly Moving Women group on January 14th, or participating in one of the workshops I’ll be offering in the New Year!
Please get in touch and let me know what your intentions are for the year ahead. I’d love to help you find a way to see them through!
-Jessica Houghton, Dance Movement Therapist
Moving Together 