to be and to be with...

‘...the real relationship doesn’t depend on words…it depends on the capacity to be with.’  ~ Dr Gabor Mate.

When people find out that I offer sessions for people who are non-verbal or speak a different language to me they are often curious and have asked, ‘How does therapy work if you can’t speak the same language?

It’s such a valid question to ask and reveals so much about how we perceive communication. I think in many ways what helps the therapy to work so deeply is that we don’t need words.  In fact, sometimes I find that words can get in the way of what we are trying to express.  

The therapeutic relationship we build, as with many relationships, doesn’t depend on words, it depends on the capacity to really be, and be with a person.