At Barghamadi Counseling, I understand that life may have left you feeling frozen. Cold. Rigid (even in this desert heat!). Feeling like you don’t know how to move forward with your life, because your past haunts you.

 

I’m here to tell you that warmth is possible. The warmth that a cup of spiced chai and a cozy blanket brings on an autumn day, the warmth of a hug from someone you love, or even the warmth of the sun on your skin when you are in a winterstorm.

 

You are worthy of feeling warmth 🌞.

 

When we can approach ourselves with openness and curiosity, something within us shifts; we open up. We cultivate an inner warmth when we are curious.

 

Curiosity is the ingredient that adds warmth to our existence; in the same way that adding cardamom, cinnamon, and saffron add warmth to your chai. It adds a layer of nuance and depth, and enhances the good that is already there.

 

Counseling is a sacred space. A space where you can examine the lens through which you see yourself.

 

Sometimes we see ourselves through smudged glasses, and the first step of the process is to examine how long we’ve been walking around with glasses that needed to be cleansed. Sometimes, we walk around with sunglasses and don’t allow the light to permeate our eyes.

 

When we can see ourselves the same eyes we see people that we love, our relationship to ourselves shifts. Do you look at your loved ones with the same scrutiny that you look at yourself with? Or do you know their worth? Often times we are able to give kindness to others, but we have forgotten how it looks to be kind to ourselves. We might fear that, “if I am too kind to myself, I will be ‘lazy’/‘a ‘bad’ person/fill in the blank with your core wounds here’.”

 

The question I'd like to pose is, what if, treating yourself less like a project to fix, and more like a human being worthy of kindness could actually get you closer to the life you want? What if, having a relationship with yourself that feels loving and safe will translate to feeling more loved and more safe in this tumultuous and scary world?

 

When we begin to shift into this space of warmth and curiosity, healing can happen. Its a metamorphosis. A slow, but powerful one. Like the caterpillar who turns into a butterfly 🦋, we innately yearn to grow.

 

“Open your heart and mind like the wings of a butterfly. See then how high you can fly.” -Zeenat Aman

 

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly” -Chuang Tzu

 

You can work towards witnessing yourself through eyes that are kind and full of love.

 

Together, let's channel your openness and curiosity into healing.

 

Warmth 🌞 Curiosity 🌕 Healing 💛

 

- Tara Barghamadi