First thing is first:

If you are going to be brave with me, working to discover new insights about a path to a life you love, I think it’s only fair I share with you part of my journey to discovering  how to love the life I am living.

Hi! I’m Bennett Kirkpatrick, somatic therapist in Durham and Chapel Hill, NC at Insight Counseling Center, Pllc.   It took me a long time to figure out these little facts, and I hope sharing them with you is helpful.

Boundaries are My Friend

• I have a long history of running myself into the ground (*cough* perfectionism). Then I had a wise teacher explain to me that I am the vehicle through which my passions will come to life. In other words, I needed to slow down and fill my own love bucket. Learning to say ‘no’ to things you don’t want, is actually learning to say ‘yes’ to the life you DO want. It’s so liberating! I love to help others develop empowering boundaries. When I love and respect myself, life is a lot easier, and so are relationships.

Perfection is an Infection

• Ding, Ding! Did I just light something up in you? Yeah, you know perfectionism. She’s a vicious and critical little thing. I used to sit on the edge of making changes, wavering until things were ‘just right’. I was scared to claim what I really wanted because, what if I was wrong?! Well, guess what? It’s all subjective. That’s why I love and live by the principals I’ve learned through Dialectical Behavior Therapy. You can learn too! 3. I’m Not a Fortune Teller • Wait, what? I’m not?! Does sitting around just

I’m Not a Fortune Teller

• Wait, what? I’m not?! Does sitting around predicting what is going to happen if you do this or you do that, sound familiar?  Yeah. Fortune Telling was my 1st career.  Now I utilize mindfulness to open myself to what is actually happening in THIS MOMENT to help me make wise, intuitive choices about the moments to come. Not really sure what mindfulness is? Check out this blog post. It’s not as difficult as you think. Once I shook the habit of fortune telling, I opened up to being able to really notice what was blocking me from what I really wanted.

Respect and Love for Myself = Healthy Life and Healthy Relationships

• So, I used to walk around thinking I needed everyone else to believe I was ‘special’ in order to own my unique being.  I thought other people’s confirmation would suddenly cause me to blossom into this person who would finally claim my space in the world. Um…..No. It doesn’t work that way. I had to start to really KNOW myself. How can I teach another person what I like and what makes me tick if I don’t take time to learn that myself!?  So, I take myself on daily and weekly dates with and started to experiement with a self care routine so I can continue to know what I need and love myself.

Aren’t you ready to get to know your beautiful self, too?  The therapists at Insight Counseling Center in Durham NC are truly enthusiastic about their client’s journey.

Reach out to us today if you’re ready to make some changes and start the journey to a life you love!