Witnessing
Here you'll find answers to common questions about Witnessing.
What is Witnessing?
​Each of us have had experiences that we must move through. Often, these experiences can leave us feeling judged, alone, confused, scared, angry. Sometimes, we may pull away from the world, convinced we have to do it alone. Sometimes, all we really need is to be seen, for all the pain and grief and sorrow and fear, for all that we are. Sometimes, we just need our story to be heard, to be understood. Sometimes, we just need to know that we're not alone.​
​
To bear witness, is to be present as another moves through the emotions of their experience. Not to protect them from their emotions, not to convince them that they are okay, but to see them for all that they are and all that they feel. The role of the witness is to stay with their person, keeping them safe as they do what they must to move the emotion. This presence is a form of respect, validating their experience through quiet support.
What's the difference between talk therapy and Witnessing?
Talk therapy, in its many forms, is considered a treatment or intervention, often with the goal to help you develop coping mechanisms, identify patterns, and bring about "positive" changes. Talk therapy is an important treatment and is extremely beneficial for some. For others, talk therapy can result in intellectualizing emotions and re-traumatizing the individual.
​
Witnessing is not a treatment nor an intervention, it's a human being present to another's humanness. The only 'goal' of bearing witness is to hold space for the individual to safely experience what it is they're going through. There is no homework, no fixing, no "identifying", just going where the emotion takes you.
​
There is no right or wrong way to seek out support. And there's no reason that you can't do both talk therapy and witnessing. You get to do what feels good for you.
What does Witnessing with me look like?
Opening the space
We will start the session by opening up the space with a smudge and you'll have the time to set your intention.
​
The Witnessing
​
Each Witness Session is a very unique and individual experience. At times, the emotion will being to flow before we've even begun. If the emotion needs some prompting to know that it's safe to show up, I'll ask you a question or two such as 'what is it that you're going through?'
​
Throughout our time together, you have complete freedom to express the emotions that are coming up in any way they need to expressed. You can yell, you can cry, you can tell me the story, you can curse, you can curl into a ball, you can throw a tantrum, you can lay on the ground, you can do whatever it is you need to do, and I'll be there with you. I won't do much in the way of talking and you can trust that there will be no judgement for your experience. ​​
​
Closing the space
​
As the session comes to an end, I'll support you in coming back into the here and now in a good way. Talking some breathes and re-grounding. We'll close out the space with a smudge and give thanks to the energies that showed up to support you. Before you leave, I'll check-in and ask how you're feeling. There's no expectation that the emotion will have completely dissipated or that you should be feeling 'good', but it's important that you leave our session feeling grounded.