New Year’s Resolutions: Yay or Nay?

New Year’s Resolutions: Yay or Nay?

I was talking with some people the other day and all I could keep thinking about was transitions, especially as we all transition to this new year of 2019. What are transitions? When are we in transition periods? Well, one is the new year. We think about how our past year has been and what we hope for the new year as it begins. Basically, we transition any time there is a change (and this happens more often than once a year!). During the new year, we all start thinking about whether, or not, we will make a New Year’s Resolution. I am curious about why we do, or do not, make them. Regardless if you are one who does make New Year’s Resolutions or not, how do you feel about them? How do you feel about them now? How do you feel about them in the past? How will you feel about them in a month? Six months from now? At the end of the year?

               Have you ever wondered if you are ready to make the changes on your New Year’s Resolution list? I ask because it doesn’t matter what time of year it is, when we are ready, we will just do it (such as starting to exercise, cleaning out our clutter, starting that new business, working on our relationships etc). Until we are ready, it isn’t going to happen because there are things we still need to work through and let go of thinking we can control them. For example, maybe we want to control our kids, our parents, our relationships, etc. Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but there isn’t much we do have control of in this world. And when I try to control my actions, and it isn’t something I want to do; I am going to not do it, basically giving my middle finger to the world. And then what do we do? When we do not complete or finish our list, we can sometimes beat ourselves up about not completing our goals. BUT! Not to worry, you are among friends, less than 1% of people are still working on their New Year’s Resolutions in the first 2 weeks of February. Yes, you heard me correctly, less than 1%. Why? The answer is simple, because people don’t want to, which is totally fine! We do what we want, not necessarily what we need to do. Oftentimes I think about trying to hold onto something because it gives me the illusion of control over something that I don’t really have control of. Okay, so what can I control then? Myself. Sometimes.

               Okay, well, now I possibly know I am not ready for the things on my New Year’s Resolution list, now what? Well, now we can talk about what are the things that are bothering you, poking you, peeving you off (perhaps this blog?). What is holding you back from doing what you truly want to do and not beating yourself up about it? We can do that alone, but sometimes it is easier looking at those things with someone who isn’t also going to beat us up about not finishing every, last thing on our New Year’s Resolution list. So, I’ll ask again, how do you feel about New Year’s Resolutions?

Thank you for reading and I truly do hope this is a wonderful, peaceful year for you!

A Strong, Non-Reactive Voice

It is a most beautiful summer day and I am enjoying watching my kids swim in the warm sunshine.  What a great day!  Today I want to talk about one of the goals of therapy, recovery, and differentiation in general. It is a phrase that I use often to describe that elusive middle ground where peace thrives and relationships are the safest. It is having a “strong, non-reactive voice.”  What does that mean, and how does one have a strong, yet non-reactive voice?
Let’s break it down piece by piece. First let’s start with having a voice. Your voice, the one that is uniquely yours, is how the essence of you comes to life. It’s yours to own, and no one can take it from you without your complete cooperation. Manytimes people will give up their voice, or who they are, in exchange for something else. It could be for acceptance, attention, or to decrease anxiety in some other way. This is the case with codependency. Others may use their voice too strongly, and crush others’ freedoms and rights with criticism or demands. This is a trait of counterdependency. Having a voice involves knowing yourself, who you are and who you are not, and knowing where your boundaries are and what you will and won’t tolerate.

Next let’s tackle the “strong” part. Having a strong voice is all about knowing exactly where those boundaries you have are, on all kinds of subjects. Some examples….Where are your physical/sexual boundaries? What about how people talk to you and on what subjects?  How about personal space?  What about when talking about potentially heated subjects like politics and religion?  How do you feel about name-calling?  What about when people lie about you or spread rumors? The list continues for every subject you can have an opinion on. Do you know what you think and how you feel?  Or do you go along with the crowd or believe someone who tells you what you should do or who you should be?  Having a strong voice involves knowing who you are, and having the courage to voice that opinion in the face of others’ possible disapproval.
Lastly, we have the non-reactive piece. Having a non-reactive voice means controlling not only the pitch and decibel level of your actual speech, but also being able to discern what part of the interaction is for you to take responsibility for, and any part that is not your responsibility. This requires a lot of insight into yourself, with patience and practice to hold your tongue and courage to use it when it’s not time to be quiet. My grandmother used to say that the tongue takes 2 years to learn how to use and a lifetime to learn how to control. So true. By knowing our own issues and understanding the issues of others, we can more skillfully choose our words based on our truth and beliefs, and avoid the pitfalls that come when we take the bait of taking things personally.  We can also control our tone.  How something is said is just as important as what it said.

Think about what it would sound like to have a strong non-reactive voice. It is confident because it knows itself, and it is calm and filled with compassion and acceptance for others because it accepts itself. It sounds neutral in tone, yet quite matter of fact. Mastering the ability to control your tongue is vital for healthy and intimate relationships.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you are having a delightful summer! Enjoy the sunshine!

Nancy Eisenman, MSW is an individual, marital, and family therapist.  She specializes in couples and marriage counseling, individual counseling, group and family counseling.  Nancy serves the surrounding areas of Carmel, Westfield, Zionsville, Fishers, and Noblesville. E-Counseling available for residents of Indiana.

©2014, Nancy Eisenman

Nancy Eisenman, MSW, LCSW is a therapist at Peace Counseling Group, serving the greater Indianapolis area. Surrounding communities include Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Geist, Noblesville, Brownsburg, and Avon. For more information, please use the contact form or call Nancy directly at 317.605.7015.

Address: 9640 Commerce Drive
Suite 413 Carmel, IN 46032

Phone:  317.605.7015

Peace Counseling Group

Contact Me

©  2017 Peace Counseling Group. All rights reserved.

The Secret Garden

It feels so good to be blogging again!  I have brewed myself a cup of Wild Mountain Blueberry coffee and I’m curled up with my iPad, a blanket, and a kitty laying by me…ready to indulge in something I have been away from for far too long…writing about my passion!

Today I want to talk about the garden of the heart.  ”The secret garden” has been heralded in literature, poetry, and song.  I love the mental picture of having a beautiful garden in my heart.  One of my favorite quick prayers that I breathe when I am feeling strong emotions is “Dear God, please tend to the garden of my emotions.”  There is an inherent calm and rest conjured by the image of a lovely garden, particularly with God as the Master Gardener.  It helps me remember the beauty that is possible inside of every person.  There is a secret garden inside of you, too.

I think this imagery is also a wonderfully analogous way of viewing all kinds of things going on inside of our feelings/heart.  Is your garden well pruned, healthy, and thriving; or is it in need of care and a good weeding?  Have you spent time on the landscaping, or does it grow wild with any manner of flower or thistle?  Do the plants produce wonderful fruit for you and others, or do you emotionally and spiritually go hungry?  Do you visit there often, or try to ignore it?  Is it growing and alive, or dying and barren?
Maybe you’ve given away portions of your land in the name of acceptance from others.  If you have, you can feel it.  It feels like not having room to breathe and relax because you have so much to do for everyone around you.  Each person is healthily entitled to their own relational space.  Many times people will give up portions of who they are and the space they need to exist so that others will believe they are a good person, for example.  This is one of the main characteristics of relational enmeshment.  The easiest definition of enmeshment is “I’m OK if you think I’m OK.”  Now we’re enmeshed…my feelings of peace on the inside are now dependent on you and what you think of me.  I’ve just given away some of my power, or my garden, for your cooperation in treating me like I matter and that I’m good.  This is co-dependency.

On the flip side of the coin, there is emotional distancing or cutoff.  Those who fear enmeshment back away from would-be “enmeshers”.  They take pieces of others’ gardens to give themselves enough space to feel safe.  If you have taken others’ land, you can feel it, too.  It feels like constantly monitoring and managing the feelings and perceptions of others.  It offers the illusion of control against the attempted enmeshment of others.  Folks that operate this way take on the real estate of anyone who will give it up, and many-times will withhold love and acceptance to get more.  This is counter-dependency.

Neither one of these gardening methods are “worse” than the other.  They are both equally unbalanced.  One is based on a fear of abandonment (“Take my power, strength, self, whatever…anything but leaving me!”), and the other is based on a fear of shame (“Stay back, because if you get to close to me, you will find out how unlovable I really am.”).  If you take each one a step deeper, they mirror each other.  If someone leaves me, I must be unlovable; and if I’m unlovable, of course they will leave me.  This fear in our hearts is the driving force for all manner of controlling and manipulative behaviors that make us emotionally unsafe for one another.  Both sides are controlling and manipulative…equally unbalanced, equally reactive.  (For more on this, read another one of my blogs: “Two Sides Of The Same Coin”).  This fear is represented in our gardens as weeds.  The fear, like a weed in a garden, has to be destroyed in order for peace to flourish.
When this peace does flourish in our hearts, we begin to interact with others differently.  We no longer seek the acceptance of others by giving up pieces of our land.  We no longer try to get more space than we are relationally entitled to, to feel safe.  We stop the constant dance of reactivity to closeness and distance, trading who we are for the acceptance of others.  We learn how to hold still while being able to move with others compassionately.  We become relationally safe, opening ourselves up to true and deep intimacy.  We learn…inner peace.  Our garden grows beautiful flowers and fruit, and the weeds shrivel and die.

If you would like to learn how to walk the path to your secret garden, and tend to the plants living there, come on in.  Let’s get started!  There is no time like the present, and no one else can or will do it for you.  When it’s time to get your hands dirty and start pulling some weeds, learn how to give land back to people you’ve taken it from, or re-acquire the land you’ve given away…give me a call, I’ll be happy to help you.  Thanks for reading!

Nancy Eisenman, MSW is an individual, marital, and family therapist. She specializes in couples and marriage counseling, individual counseling, group and family counseling. Nancy serves the surrounding areas of Carmel, Westfield, Zionsville, Fishers, and Noblesville. E-Counseling available for residents of Indiana.

©2014, Nancy Eisenman

©2014, Nancy Eisenman

 

Nancy Eisenman, MSW, LCSW is a therapist at Peace Counseling Group, serving the greater Indianapolis area. Surrounding communities include Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Geist, Noblesville, Brownsburg, and Avon. For more information, please use the contact form or call Nancy directly at 317.605.7015.

Nancy Eisenman, MSW, LCSW is a therapist at Peace Counseling Group, serving the greater Indianapolis area. Surrounding communities include Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Geist, Noblesville, Brownsburg, and Avon. For more information, please use the contact form or call Nancy directly at 317.605.7015.

Address: 9640 Commerce Drive
Suite 413 Carmel, IN 46032

Phone:  317.605.7015

Peace Counseling Group

Contact Me

©  2017 Peace Counseling Group. All rights reserved.

Confident Humility

Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?  How can confidence and humility live together in the same phrase?  That is exactly what I want to discuss today.  Make yourself a cup of your favorite beverage and let’s tackle this unusual, seemingly oppositional idea.

I want to start by breaking this down into two halves.  Let’s start with “Confident”.  What does it mean to have confidence?  I think we can begin by describing the difference between confidence and arrogance.  There is a huge difference, although many folks use these terms interchangeably.  To me, confidence doesn’t have anything at all to do with being arrogant.  Arrogance is ego.  Arrogance is the attitude that “I’m all that and a bag of chips, and my you-know-what doesn’t stink.”  Confidence is believing in yourself and your abilities, but more importantly, in your worthiness to be loved.  Arrogance and ego cannot exist in the presence of humility.  Confidence can.  Arrogance is about pride, and humility is the opposite of pride.  Confidence is a belief that I can be the recipient of grace.  I can attain the radical acceptance of my worthiness of being loved not because of what I’ve done, but because I am.

What if we explain “worthiness of being loved” like this:  think about a baby who has just been born.  Are they perfectly lovable?  Yes.  Why?  They haven’t done anything good or bad.  They just are.  They are lovable because they are…they haven’t earned love or worthiness.  Yet we love them so very much.  The fact that we are worthy of love does not change with our age or falterings.  We are still completely lovable because we are.  We can have confidence in this fact. I have come to find, and I know this feeling personally, that people who have grown up with shame have a deep belief that they are not good enough.  When did we start to believe this lie?  Usually when we’re kids and we, quite arrogantly, take absolutely everything personally.  Then we take that belief into adulthood.  But is that really true…are we really not good enough to be loved?  We are not perfect, that is true.  I would like to suggest that we can be both imperfect and perfectly lovable simultaneously.  This is the heart of Confident Humility.

Having the confidence that we are worthy of being loved will sometimes feel like arrogance, but it is not if your heart is in the right place.  It is believing a truth about ourselves as a human being.  If you have spent your life as a “shame-ite” as I lovingly refer to them, (and myself, too!), you have spent your life having forgotten the truth that you are lovable simply because you are.  THAT is actually arrogant.  Shame is arrogant.  It insinuates a self-importance that is prideful.  Confidence that you are lovable, not because of anything you have done, is receiving grace.  You cannot earn grace, then it is no longer grace by definition.  Now, here comes the biggie…when you have the confidence that you are lovable because you are, and you have it all by yourself, you do not need it from anyone else.  You don’t have to trade to get it from anyone.  You don’t need anyone to tell you that you are good enough.  You don’t have to earn acceptance from anyone.  When you can do this, you become relationally safe.  Non-manipulative.  No trades.  No codependency.  No over-neediness.  You can let others be and do exactly what they choose without trying to change or manipulate them into giving you acceptance.  You give it to yourself by believing the truth of your lovability.

Now let’s move onto the “Humility” piece.  Now that I know that I am completely lovable because I just am, as a human being, how do I not only protect from having that grow into ego, pride, and arrogance, but also simultaneously acknowledge the fact that I am not perfect?  Humility.  Here’s what it looks like when you put it all together:  ”I know that I am lovable for no other reason than I am, but I acknowledge that I am SO not perfect, and I WILL hurt the people I love.  It is inevitable.  I cannot be perfect.  When I hurt you, I want you to tell me, because you will be helping me grow in the places where I am weakest, you are teaching me to be careful with your feelings, you are connecting with me by telling me what it is like to be you, and I want all of those things.  I never want to hurt you, so when I do, tell me so I can learn, grow, and change.”  This takes a tremendous amount of courage, because we have to admit our shadow side and our shortcomings to hear someone say “ouch” to us.

Humility must be balanced as well, same as confidence.  I do not want to become a feather at the  mercy of the wind, or a boat at the mercy of pounding waves.  I am not going to blindly accept every criticism of me that I hear as the gospel truth, either.  I am going to run it through my own truth about myself, and see if I can find truth in your point of view.  If I can look at myself humbly and see that you have a good point, I am going to integrate your feedback.  If you tell me something that is just not a part of how I see myself, I can still acknowledge your opinion as valid, even if I don’t agree.  You can still have a different opinion of me, and we may have to agree to disagree about things sometimes, but I can always connect with you and accept your truth for what it is…your truth.  I can be sensitive to that, and understand you without having to believe and change everything about me to be who you think I should be.  This is where it is so very important to “temet nosce” or “know thyself.”

So, to wrap this up, there is a balance to be had here.  Confidence that I am completely lovable for no reason other than I am a human being.  Humility to know that I am not perfect and never will be, and I will hurt the ones I am closest to from time to time.  When I do, I can apologize and grow, instead of becoming wounded that they do not see me as good enough.  I already know I am.  My confidence gives me the strength to be humble.  Isn’t that something?  It also makes me safe for others to be exactly who they are and not who I need them to be to feel OK.  Working on this in yourself will send ripples of change through every relationship you have, and draw others toward you.

That’s what I have for you today.  I wish you the confidence to know that you are loved, and the humility to realize you can be hurtful, and they both occur at the same time.  A difficult concept to grasp, let alone integrate.  Wow, is it worth the effort, though.  You and your relationships will never be the same because of it.

Nancy Eisenman, MSW is an individual, marital, and family therapist. She specializes in couples and marriage counseling, individual counseling, group and family counseling. Nancy serves the surrounding areas of Carmel, Westfield, Zionsville, Fishers, and Noblesville. E-Counseling available for residents of Indiana.

©2014, Nancy Eisenman

©2013, Nancy Eisenman

Nancy Eisenman, MSW, LCSW is a therapist at Peace Counseling Group, serving the greater Indianapolis area. Surrounding communities include Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Geist, Noblesville, Brownsburg, and Avon. For more information, please use the contact form or call Nancy directly at 317.605.7015.

Address: 9640 Commerce Drive
Suite 413 Carmel, IN 46032

Phone:  317.605.7015

Peace Counseling Group

Contact Me

©  2017 Peace Counseling Group. All rights reserved.

Shut The Frau Up!

Pardon the play on words, but it really is the perfect title for this post!  I promise by the end, you will understand why I chose it.

I was thinking this week about the “voices” we humans hear in our heads.  No, this is not a schizophrenic or delusional thing I am talking about here!  I am talking about the very normal, everyday thoughts that go through our heads.  Have you ever noticed that you “talk” to yourself almost non-stop?  What do the voices in your head say to you?

  • “I look really pretty today.”
  • “Wow, that was a stupid thing I just did.”
  • “She is so much skinnier than I am.”
  • “No one loves me.”
  • “I did a really good job on that project.”
  • “I am a terrible father.”
  • “I forgot to pay that bill.”
  • “I’m an idiot.”

Pretty much non-stop chatter in there, right?  One time long ago, I had a therapist explain it to me like this…”we all have numerous ‘people’ and ‘personalities’ in our head, so to speak, it’s just a matter of which one steps up to the mic to be heard.”  When it’s time to pay bills, the responsible financial analyst steps up.  When in an argument, the angry teenager inside may come out to protect.  When looking in the mirror, there may be more than a few choices as to who steps up to put their two-cents in.

And have you ever noticed that they don’t always agree?  What if I can’t decide between breaking up with my boyfriend or trying to work it out?  One part of me talks me into it, and another part of me talks me out of it.  One part tells me I look great in my new jeans, and another part tells me I couldn’t look good in ANY jeans.  One part of me knows that I am worthy of being loved well, and another part tells me that no one could ever love me.  Catch my meaning?

So in my own recovery work, I have been thinking a lot about the voice in my head that tells me very mean, negative things.  It is a very shaming voice, and this part of me absolutely excels at finding every single flaw about me, big or small.  In order to name it, pay attention to it, and realize it when “she” steps up to the mic, I have given “her” a name…Frau Hitler.  (I am German, and “frau” means “wife”, so it seems quite fitting.)  She is just straight-up mean and nasty.  I was telling a friend of mine about this idea, and she said, “when you talk about her, the picture of her that I imagine she would look like is Edna Mode from the movie, The Incredibles.”  Hysterical!  I assured her that the Frau is not like the cute and funny spitfire fashion designer portrayed in Edna.  She is actually a shaming bully on steroids.  She is the voice of damaged self-image and shame; and at times, it can seem as though she is screaming into a bullhorn!

I know this is a very common problem, in fact I think everyone has a Frau Hitler of some kind and to some degree running around in their head.  Some more than others, and some folks give their particular “frau” more mic time than others.  I have often wondered the best way to deal with this issue of damaged self-image and negative self-talk (shame), as a therapist-in-training.  Warm and fuzzy audio tapes in the ears?  Pasting affirmations to every mirror?  Hypnosis?  I mean seriously, what is the best way to build a positive self image?

Intuitive thinking would say “well, just start talking to yourself nicely.”  Ya, like that’s super easy…right?  I’ll just conjure up someone in my head who thinks I’m beautiful and lovable and the best thing since sliced bread and let HER/HIM have the mic…after all, she can take on this powerhouse that has ruled my thoughts about myself since I can remember…piece of cake.  Um, no.  Doesn’t work that way.  Why?  Because it feels like a lie.  We can conjure it up, but we won’t believe it.

So instead, how about we take the back way in…the paradox, the counter-intuitive?  Shut the Frau up!  Commandeer her bullhorn immediately!  You’ve heard the phrase, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”  EXACTLY.  Just do it in your own head!  Let her take a nice, long vacation in Siberia, like for the rest of your life.  Then, when that’s done, find out why she was created in the first place, and grieve the pain that made her.  Work through it, feel it, process it, sit in it.  Realize that she came from a lie:  a lie you heard when you were little.  Who insinuated, or straight-out TOLD you, that you were not good enough in some way?  That person, or those people, became the voice of your Frau.  When you stop listening to the lies and deal with the pain, the truth will begin to come into your thoughts naturally and start to heal you.

Who gets the most mic time in your head?  My hope for you is that you can see the beautiful creature you are.  Inside and out.  To give the mic only to those parts of you that love, care for, and nurture you; and to take it away from any part that doesn’t.  It may feel like doing so will give you permission to make mistakes or become arrogant, but that too is a lie.  Keep hold of your conscience, let go of the shame.  Learning to give this love and grace to yourself will help you see the world completely differently, create a peace in your mind that you’ve been dreaming of, and help you love others easily.

There you go.  Now, affectionately and with all the love in my heart…..shut the Frau up!

Nancy Eisenman, MSW is an individual, marital, and family therapist. She specializes in couples and marriage counseling, individual counseling, group and family counseling. Nancy serves the surrounding areas of Carmel, Westfield, Zionsville, Fishers, and Noblesville. E-Counseling available for residents of Indiana.

©2014, Nancy Eisenman

©2012, Nancy Eisenman

Nancy Eisenman, MSW, LCSW is a therapist at Peace Counseling Group, serving the greater Indianapolis area. Surrounding communities include Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Geist, Noblesville, Brownsburg, and Avon. For more information, please use the contact form or call Nancy directly at 317.605.7015.

Address: 9640 Commerce Drive
Suite 413 Carmel, IN 46032

Phone:  317.605.7015

Peace Counseling Group

Contact Me

©  2017 Peace Counseling Group. All rights reserved.

Chameleons

Chameleons are probably not a subject you would ever think I would blog about, right?  No, I’m not taking a turn for veterinary science or lizardology.  I mean, what is a therapist wannabe gonna say about chameleons or anything else in the wild kingdom?   Today we are going to discuss a type of personality that has been termed “chameleon.”

Chameleons are lizards that blend in and adapt to their surroundings so as not to be readily seen.  Do you know any people who seem to exhibit this kind of relating to others?  Have you ever met anyone who could adapt to any situation and seemingly thrive in any setting?  Maybe the chameleon is with someone who likes to be the center of attention at a party. They come out of their shell and become more outgoing to match the other person.  Perhaps they are in a setting with a very somber group. They become quiet and subdued.  Maybe in another setting the chameleon will act very religious or chaste, while the next moment becoming vulgar or mean.

Why do chameleons blend into their surroundings in nature?  It is a defense mechanism. It’s no different in the case of the chameleon personality.  An intense fear of abandonment or shame for example can cause people to adapt to whatever situation presents itself in order to preserve perceived connections with others. The chameleon doesn’t have a strong sense of self. They borrow the “self” or personality of others to gain attention and acceptance.

This is actually a lonely and anxiety-filled way of relating to others.  What fears does the chameleon face?  They fear being their authentic selves because they might be abandoned if the others find out who the chameleon believes they are on the inside.  On the inside, the chameleon believes he/she is not lovable.  They fear the aloneness and rejection they will face if someone sees them, really sees them for who they are, and doesn’t like what they see.  Having these scary feelings…it literally feels like it would be worse than death.  Therefore, adapting to situations by giving up “self” to be acceptable becomes necessary for their very survival.

When it comes down to it, they end up giving up who they are, trading peacefully living as the beautiful person they are on the inside, for the anxiety of trying to belong.  The voice in their heads constantly tells them that no one will accept them for who they are.  It is a private hell of their own making.  They refuse to believe how breathtaking they are!  (And not because they’ve earned it, but because they ARE.)  Each person is a unique and beautiful creature, lovable for exactly who they are.  Many of us don’t believe it.  We tell ourselves the lie that all of the painful times we experienced anything that resembled rejection in our childhoods were reflections of how lovable we are.  I would invite you to stop believing this lie.

If we look a little bit deeper…and if you see yourself as a chameleon, this feedback might sting a little bit…chameleon behavior is also actually controlling of others.  Attempting to control others is about making your own environment safe for yourself.  If I can control others, I don’t have to be afraid of them, right?  So as a chameleon, I am going to attempt to control your perception of me, in essense attempting to force you to accept me and pay attention to me.  When it comes down to it, this is an invasive way of relating to others.  It is also ultimately a temporary illusion at best, because we can’t really control how others feel or think…not in the context of a healthy relationship, or with any kind of long-term efficacy.  Eventually someone you are trying to “trick” will catch on, and the chameleon can be seen.

Taking the risk to love yourself for who you are is a dangerous and scary notion, but it is the truth, and it is the growth we must pursue if we are going to have a mind filled with peace and self-acceptance.  We will also no longer need to control or invade others, making us safer for them to choose to connect with us.  When you can accept yourself, you can give acceptance to others most freely too, not codependently or in a controlling way, and not in an unbalanced “I’m-going-to-trade-my-self-for-your-acceptance” way.  Think about accepting yourself more completely, with all of your beautiful, breathtaking, and brilliant colors.  Risk letting the world see who you REALLY are, because that authentic self inside of you is AMAZING!

Thanks for reading!  Have a beautiful day!

Nancy Eisenman, MSW, LSW is an individual, marital, and family therapist. She specializes in couples and marriage counseling, individual counseling, group and family counseling. Nancy serves the surrounding areas of Carmel, Westfield, Zionsville, Fishers, and Noblesville. E-Counseling available for residents of Indiana.

©2012, Nancy Eisenman

Nancy Eisenman, MSW, LCSW is a therapist at Peace Counseling Group, serving the greater Indianapolis area. Surrounding communities include Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Geist, Noblesville, Brownsburg, and Avon. For more information, please use the contact form or call Nancy directly at 317.605.7015.

Address: 9640 Commerce Drive
Suite 413 Carmel, IN 46032

Phone:  317.605.7015

Peace Counseling Group

Contact Me

©  2017 Peace Counseling Group. All rights reserved.