Let’s Talk About Consent

Let’s Talk About Consent.

Have you considered the importance of understanding and practicing consent? Consent is the behavior of giving approval to what is done or proposed by another. In therapy, consent is vitally important. As a client, you should have a clear understanding of interventions and feel safe to say no.

From a young age, we have access to feel when something feels comfortable and when something feels off or wrong for us. Some of us were taught as children to bypass or minimize connection with this alert system and learned to defer to others for direction. When discomfort is acknowledged it can feel murky and unclear. This is where we pause and explore. Tuning into our inner knowing and trusting that the discomfort in our bodies is telling us something valuable allows us to understand our boundaries and desires.

Consent applies in all domains of our lives. If we have an employer who asks us to do things that feel unethical or uncomfortable, we have an opportunity to explore that discomfort and learn about ourselves. In intimate relationships, we can explore what is right for us and learn to express ourselves with increased transparency, certainty, and kindness.

Part of growth and development is learning to trust and befriend our inner knowing and then to move through life working to trust that inner knowing. Being out of alignment with our needs, desires, and values, or being confused about them increases anxiety and depression. If you feel you have dulled or lost your ability to connect with your inner knowing, hesitate to trust what feels right for you, or struggle to advocate for yourself, this is a great place to explore in therapy.