When Lisa* came to Grapevine Counseling Center she was depressed. Lisa shared her story that all her life she had felt an intense pressure to make a big impact on the world, but nothing she did ever seemed to amount to anything. Gradually, the depression set in. Now even a simple task like opening the refrigerator felt exhausting. Her counselor gave her feedback by wondering where all this pressure was coming from. Lisa did not know. She just assumed everyone felt that same pressure. After some exploration, Lisa realized that growing up with an older sister who seemed to do everything right and get all her parents praise had imprinted the message that to have worth and significance you had to do great things. Lisa’s counselor helped her broaden her perspective by having her ask her friends and family about the impact she had on their lives. Lisa was startled by the heartfelt responses. Time and again she was told how much she meant to them. Lisa experienced transformation when in the next session her counselor helped her see the enormous ripple effect of her actions. Through her friends and family she was positively impacting the lives of the thousands of people they came across. An unstoppable grin began to spread across her face as Lisa laughed, “I guess I already made huge impact on the world.” With a giant weight off her shoulder’s, Lisa re-engaged at work. She ended counseling two months later saying that she was enjoying life so much more than she ever had before.
*Names and Identifying information have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
