Holding space is the process of witnessing and validating someone else’s emotional state while simultaneously being present to your own. A person’s worldview is inherited characteristics, background experiences, life situations, values, attitudes, and habits that are developed throughout our lifetime and vary from one person to another. A person’s worldview can trigger an emotional response when it feels threatened.
As systems (political, medical, educational, legal, mental health, social justice) are attempting to adjust to daily changes, all of us are physically and emotionally impacted differently based on our “worldview”. Even though some parts of a worldview are shared by many people in a community, other parts differ for individuals. Hence, we are not going to entirely “agree” on what is “right or wrong”, as our systems are shifting in 2020 and beyond.
During these trying times, globally and personally, many people are identifying as feeling “angry” and perhaps even being “scared”, “depressed” or “anxious”. These reactions are commonly classified as “fight, flight or freeze”, all of which are enhanced responses during such times of distress and distrust.
We have been witnessing a substantial increase in displays of anger, rage, and violence in 2020. How do we first define personally and globally what is “positive” change for humanity as a “whole” and then go about doing it? The division is literally palpable. Even defining “protest” versus “riot” can spark an enraged argument.
Holding space does not mean you remove or avoid your own emotions, but you become a witness to them. Practicing mindfulness teaches us to listen with our ears and feel with our hearts. Are you willing to walk alongside another person in whatever journey they are experiencing based on their worldview? Can you hold space without judging them, making them feel inadequate, trying to fix them, or trying to impact the outcome?
It seems impossible to separate our “feelings” from our “worldview”. But, for our own personal health, we must learn to do so. Allow this to be the time in your life that you are willing to step back and look at your worldview. Ask yourself what is and is not “working” for you and your personal health and mental well-being. Often symptomatic anger covers up the pain of our “core hurts.” These key distressful emotions include feeling ignored, unimportant, accused, guilty, untrustworthy, devalued, rejected, powerless, unlovable, or even unworthy of healthy relationships.
Traditional counseling, mindfulness, meditation, and EFT Tapping all use the doorway of the present moment to restore your body and mind to their optimal functioning conditions. Meditation, mindfulness practice, and/or prayer have positive psychological effects. EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques/Tapping), when done properly, can remove emotional blockages, clear negative thoughts, ease, and/or eliminate pain, and provide a greatly enhanced quality of life.
Give yourself permission for self-care and self-love and allow us at PremierMD+ to hold space for you on your journey to health, as you explore your worldview. Call 616-213-0253 or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment.
In Good Health,
Lisa Cobb, LMSWClinical Therapist, Certified Mindfulness Instructor, EFT Practitioner PremierMD+