Illuminated Expressions 1st Year Anniversary

I wanted to write a more personalized blog for the 1 year anniversary of Illuminated Expressions. But as I have sat here and contemplated what to say, every time a thought would come up, I am pushing it back and saying no, that is too personal, too vulnerable. But that is what I am asking my clients to do each week, be vulnerable, divulge their personal issues. Together, we work up the courage to do the hard thing, to be brave for 20 seconds, to change their lives for ever, for the better. And each time a client has done something brave, big or small, it inspires me in ways they will never know, to have the courage to do the hard thing, to be brave for 20 seconds, to change my life forever, for the better and that is why I sit and write and be vulnerable before the world and celebrate this accomplishment publicly.

Often, I have been known to tell my students and social work supervisees that we can only take our clients as far as we are willing to go ourselves. In order to guide someone through the dark shadows of their psyche, we need to be willing to dig through, acknowledge and embrace our own shadows. As therapist, we have to do the work too. That is what this 1 year anniversary celebration is about. Doing the work and celebrating a win. 2020 was hard. It was hard for millions of us. And like millions, I stepped out on faith, to chase my dream and started Illuminated Expressions. I have been so grateful, for the last year to have had the opportunity to serve so many beautiful clients and social work professionals. To be one of the millions to have stepped out on faith and a year later, actually get to say, I did it, wow, I did it!

I hope that you too have the opportunity to step out on faith and when you do, do it with joy. It makes a difference. Thank you for being part of this journey. I am so excited to see what the next year brings.

~ Renita ~