Growth and a Spiral Staircase

Stay with me on this metaphor, but often I have client’s reflect on the journey of healing through a linear perspective. I try to assist with reframing this vantage point to that of a spiral staircase. We are always moving and growing. However, to the individual it can feel as if you are rounding the same issues, conflict, and feelings over and over again. If you were on a never ending spiral stair case you would be rounding the same vantage points continuously but from a different angle or height.

This becomes a great metaphor for how mental health, relational health, and emotional health are experienced. You may be repeating patterns played out from your conditioning, your environment, or the systems you have experienced. You are experiencing them though as you transcend the issue from new lenses, insight, and assistance.

With that I would love to introduce you all to a moment on my spiral staircase. I am beginning a partnership with “The Real Mainstream” a publication (both online and print) providing LGBTQ affirming, intersectional news, commentary and events for readers in Illinois and Iowa. I was originally introduced to The Real Mainstream back in my non-profit career when I was interviewed for a grant I wrote for and then ultimately managed for a local agency. The grant was focused on the intersection of domestic violence and the queer population. I have been re-introduced to the publication by the author Christine Hawes. I am so excited to announce that I will be partnering with them and working on future collaborations with them.