My Life Model Story

Sometimes I wonder if most mental health counselors are drawn to the field of psychology because of their own complicated life stories.?I know that has been true for me and many of my colleagues.?

Therapists need Therapy too

We all have some pain in our story, and as therapists, we often find hope through processing our pain and coming out the other side of our healing journey stronger. Of course, the journey is long, and none of us ever fully arrives at psychological perfection. However, there is so much opportunity for growth, and with each step toward greater maturity, life becomes richer. I often compare going to therapy to going to the dentist. There is always work to do! It just depends on how deep you want to go to heal problems, prevent future issues, and become your best self. Whether you are looking for brighter and straighter teeth, or a brighter and straighter life path, there are always more opportunities!

My Personal Emotional Wellness Journey

Throughout my own life, I have struggled with emotional dysregulation, sometimes displaying itself as anxiety and other times as depression. From a fairly young age, I became motivated to find healthy ways to regulate and heal from my life’s traumas. I read books and talked with therapists (and eventually became a therapist!). I went to healing seminars and sought out mature mentors. I tried various programs and therapeutic techniques. As a therapist, I even learned specific techniques and practiced them on myself at home when I couldn’t find a therapist who specialized in that modality! Still, I found myself craving more. I wanted to holistically and consistently feel peace, regulate my emotions, relate to others well, and heal from the difficulties of my past.? For years, I prayed often that I would find a key to unlock the healing and freedom that I so deeply desired.??

Then, after years of searching, I came across the Life Model curriculum.??

Discovering the Life Model

It was the fall of 2014, and I had been doing therapy with adolescents living in an inpatient setting when the director of the program handed me a book entitled Living from the Heart Jesus Gave You. ? Now, you have to understand that as a therapist, I had so many books on my shelf that I was NOT planning on reading the book he gave me any time soon. Nonetheless, I politely accepted the book, and it sat on my nightstand for several weeks before I cracked it open. Then, one Saturday morning in October, I was lounging around the house and decided to open the book for the first time. When I tell this story, I often say that the moment I opened the book, the “nexus of my universe converged, and it changed my life”! This nexus was an integration of information; it was a conceptual bridge, a way of making sense of the confusing and conflicting messages I had received throughout my life. As I read the first couple of paragraphs, I just knew I was in the right place. The book beautifully blended psychology and faith in a way that spoke to both of these vital aspects of my life, then gave me new hope for finding the answers I had been searching for so many years. As I digested book after book in the Life Model curriculum, I continued to be amazed at the profound insights and deeply satisfying truths that I found in the pages. This has led me on a journey of healing and freedom that I had almost given up finding. This journey continues to this day as the Life Model produces more curriculum that I read and then apply for my personal and professional growth.

Because the Life Model has been a therapeutic companion to me, I wanted to offer it more completely to my fellow mental health professionals here at The Place Therapists Grow so that it can benefit others in their healing journey. The previous article in this Life Model Series provided a detailed overview of the conceptualization of the Life Model, what it is, and how it is used. The next articles will discuss the Life Model as a model for personal, relational, and spiritual growth. It is important to note that our organization, The Center for Transformation (CFT) Institute , is supported by Life Model Works in the endeavor to bring this information to therapists everywhere. The therapists on our team are well-studied in the model and are actively seeking ways to not only implement the model in our personal lives and in our therapy sessions but also consider how we can best offer the knowledge of this model to other therapists through the CFT Institute so that many more individuals can benefit from the wisdom the Life Model offers personally and professionally.??

I am passionate about the Life Model as a guide for personal, relational, and spiritual growth, and I couldn’t be more excited to offer this information to you!? I believe that no matter your unique life experiences, personality, or perspective, the Life Model will help you understand yourself and grow to the next level. My hope in sharing about the work CFT Institute is doing with Life Model Works will offer insight and direction not only on the foundational understanding of the model but also on how to apply the Life Model for maximum effectiveness in your personal healing and in your practice.

Ready to dive in? Go to www.cftinstitute.com to start your journey in learning the Life Model for personal and professional growth, I promise it is a journey worth taking!