WOMANITION MAGAZINE Womanition2017_Magazine_ForWEB (old) | Page 58

Wellness Facilitator Joan Small Which Hat Are You Wearing? We wear baseball hats to sporting events, hard hats on construction sites, stylish hats to the Derby, but what about the variety of hats we wear in the multitude of roles in our life? Taking that one step further, let’s look at the hats of the control person, the fearful or hurting person, the stuck or stressed person. How do we allow these many hats to balance on our heads so that we don’t become overwhelmed? Let’s start with being empathetic. Empathy is the igniter that powers the best in us. It is what civilizes us. It is what connects us. In my role as a Synergy Therapist I connect with empathy to my clients, creating an environment of allowing empathy within them. It is like being a quiet mentor. “In-to-me-see” or “intimacy” is a great way to understand empathy. There is a part in every one of us that yea rns to be fully known for who we are, or to fully know others. When we are being controlling, intimacy isn’t there. During a session, a client shared, “I don’t like being controlling! It stops me from being flexible!” So we explored the empathy path. It took her to a traumatic time as a 6-year-old, the day her brother died. She saw herself sitting on the back steps of her home, tears rolling down her cheeks, feeling alone and out of control. That day she made an unconscious decision to take control. Patterns like this can start at a very young age and when this client understood where her controlling came from, she experienced a huge sense of relief. A mystery had been solved. A mentor of mine said, “Joan, you are an agent of change.” I felt her words resonate within me. I love that hat! I have realized what people know from the inside out is often more powerful than anything they could hear from anyone else. To be able to facilitate a healing experience through connection and ultimate transformation is so rewarding. I love facilitating deep, meaningful connections allowing others to “in-to-me-see.” I also love wearing my leadership hat. I facilitate change in people’s lives by telling stories, teaching wellness and creating new connections. Audrey Hepburn said, “As you grow older, you will discover you have two hands, one for helping yourself, one for helping others.” The helping starts with one’s self. We need to create wellness through empathy for ourselves before we reach out in concern for others. Wear your hats with ease and flexibility. Wellness Facilitator JOAN SMALL Certified Rubenfeld Synergist, Laughter Yoga Leader, Cranial Sacral Therapy Phone 780-441-1750 [email protected] www.rubenfeldsynergy.com 56