Metamorphosis Psychotherapy

  Can I ask you to take a moment, and reflect: DO YOU ENJOY YOUR LIFE? Regardless of what answer you came up with, please ask yourself another question: WHY? I obviously don’t know what you might have thought, but below I offer some of my own thoughts on enjoying life. There are people who know how to enjoy life. They are happy to have a job, even if not completely satisfying, a family, even if not perfect, friends, even if not 100% reliable. People who enjoy life can enjoy small things as well as big things. They are able to appreciate a day off, a meal with friends, a nice sunset, a walk on the beach, visiting a sibling, a holiday abroad, their safe country and whatever else is going on for them. They complain seldom and seem to be relaxed and settled most of the time. They don't bring their work home, they don't lose sleep worrying about how to pay their bills or that the end of the world is coming tomorrow. It’s as if they had an 'on' and 'off' switch ...

  As we all know, crossroads are where two or more roads cross. We have to take a right, a left, go straight, go around, make a U-turn or go wherever needed in order to bring us to our destination. In the collective consciousness, crossroads are a metaphor for a point in life where a crucial decision has to be made. The decision made will have long-term consequences and may impact our life hugely. In recent times the whole world witnessed many people in Ukraine making a choice to stay or to go. They were at the crossroads, literally and metaphorically. So were many politicians who were deciding   whether to help or not.   There is something about crossroads that have fascinated people for a long time. Across times and cultures, people have associated crossroads with a similar thing – decision making and moving on. In ancient Greece, crossroads were representatively connected to the underworld and by conducting certain rituals, one could be blessed by Hecate or Herme...

  I was always into reading books and listening to music, especially ambitious, interesting, cultural reading and non-mainstream music. I used to buy a book or a record/cd for people as gifts for different occasions, especially for my younger brother at every occasion presented. My brother loved the music and showed a great interest until a certain time. Reading was never a major interest of his, but he read occasionally. A few times he commented about my intensions in relation to his gifts. He said: you gave me stuff you wanted for yourself. I must admit, I didn't understand why he would think that, I was slightly puzzled, then offended. I felt it was very unfair of him to say that. At the end of the day, he expressed how he felt about my gifts. Everyone has the right to voice their opinions, whether we like it or not. I certainly didn’t like what I had heard from him. I didn't know how to respond. For years I have been practicing to be reflective, not reactive. I didn't r...

  'IN, OUT DEEP, SLOW CALM, EASE, SMILE, RELEASE, PRESENT MOMENT, WONDERFUL MOMENT'. If you use this poem during sitting or walking meditation, it can be very nourishing and healing.  Thich Nhat Hanh •         “If you try to calm your mind, it only makes it worse, but over time it does calm, and when it does, there is room to hear more subtle things – that is when your intuition starts to blossom and you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Your mind just slows down, and you see tremendous expanse in the moment. You see so much than you could not see before. It is a discipline, you have to practice it.” Steve Jobs •                     “Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” Mother Theresa •           “So, when the challenges come, as they always do, make a habit to go within at once and focu...

  The world has ended an infinitive number of times. Literally and metaphorically.   Like the personal tragedies people experience or collective tragedies like natural disasters or war. These are the very real calamities humanity endures. Often the world tends to end in minds of people, who are constantly entertaining fearful or negative thoughts, fuelling anxiety. There are lots of dangers that never manifest too.   According to Paul Ekman, anxiety and fear are two of six primary emotions and people all over the world experience both regardless of their geographical location, upbringing, social group, religion or political views. We all have it and experience it in different amounts during our life. Life events or circumstances can evoke these emotions, however if there is nothing threatening happening – we still have some anxiety and fear waiting there to appear when necessary. All living beings contain anxiety and fear in their makeup. It is often referred to as th...

  Years ago, before I left my beautiful country, I got to know a poem/song by Jaroslaw Szubrycht called ‘My Guardian Anger’. It confused me for a while, before it turned into a light bulb moment. I chewed and chewed and chewed on the meaning of it. Then I finally got it! People feel angry when something is wrong!! Anger can protect me! And it has ever since. Every time I failed to call that anger - I suffered the consequences. The guardian anger was always there to tell me that something wasn’t right. It helped me to negotiate healthier boundaries with people and change dynamics in different relationships. It made me speak up when essential and brought me to many wonderful insights, conclusions, twists and turns, people and events. It gave me the energy to reach for things that I dared to dream of. It kept me going through the many obstacles that appeared on my path and clear it.   I believe if a person is in touch with their anger – they are healthy. Feeling anger might stop ...