“I’ve Chosen Co-Counseling”
We were all dominated as young people. As a raised-working-class female Jew, I had little or no choice about what happened when I was young. People did to me what they wanted. They decided what I did and when, what I ate, the clothing I wore, who my friends were, and the future I could hope for.
When we are or feel dominated, many of us respond with a reactive “no” or “yes.” When we’re asked to participate in RC events, some of us may reactively say “no.” (Others may reactively say “yes.”)
I have to work all the time on what I want and don’t want. It can be difficult to sort out. However, I’ve chosen Co-Counseling whenever possible—for forty-six years. It’s the best way I’ve found to move my life forward. It’s allowed me to think of and steer my life toward options I would not have otherwise considered.
I have regular and frequent Co-Counseling sessions. I think RC goes best when practiced frequently. Occasional counseling offers some benefits but doesn’t move us forward much. We tend to work mostly on what’s happening in our present lives. Our lives might be more pleasant, but things don’t change. We work more on our earliest, deepest hurts when we counsel often.
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Reprinted from the e-mail discussion list for RC teachers
(Present Time 207, April 2022)