Individual Counseling

Paradox Of Strength And Weakness

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Many people who decide to seek outside help for life problems are plagued by negative feelings about themselves for doing so. In a word they feel weak. They feel like seeking help is an admission of incompetence, proof that they’re unable to manage their lives the way everyone else seems to be able to.

But there is nothing weak about having the courage to say “I need help right now.” And there’s certainly nothing weak about having the courage to stick with the therapeutic process, with all of its painful revelations, all of its attacks on the fragile ego, all of its emotional and intellectual hurdles.

The paradox of strength and weakness as we see it is that those who put the most effort into appearing strong, who refuse to ask for help even though they really need it, are the ones to whom the word ‘weakness’ is most applicable whereas those who have the courage to ask for help may appear weak but they’re the ones to whom the word ‘strength’ is most applicable.

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