New York City based music therapist and psychotherapist Maya Benattar helps us explore the “new normal” that has emerged in our post-election world. Maya is a member of our Practice of Being Seen Community for Therapists and accepted our invitation to publish a piece on the contributor’s blog on practiceofbeingseen.com.

To begin, Maya reads Finding the New Normal in Our Post-Election World which she wrote in mid-November and published on our site on inauguration day. Our conversation focuses the process of writing, editing, publishing, and watching a personal story create ripples far beyond your own memories and lived experience.

The writing process is meant to give back to you. To write into an election response or to any event your find confusing or traumatic would be cathartic, but to move into publishing a piece and then sharing it with family, friends, and a wider audience?  That is where you step from “just writing” into being a storyteller who engages an audience and sparks new conversations.

Telling these personal stories is hard for everyone, but especially for psychotherapists who are concerned about sharing details of their own lives with their clients. “It’s simpler if I don’t show this part of me” is a common refrain for clinicians. It’s often an attempt to make things simple, safe, and easier to control. We don’t live in that kind of world right now. The new normal is that there is no normal, which highlights that the nature of life is change and transformation.

So much of this conversation with Maya focuses on the embodiment of wisdom: how do we experience trauma and the beauty of flow and creativity in our bodies? Because Maya is a music therapist, we also tune into how music therapy helps people understand themselves and their stories in the way they experience and create sound.

This is an invitation to tune into the ideas, feelings, and parts of the body that are asking you to notice them. When you see yourself, you’re able to see our changing society and make connections that will continue to value our shared humanity.

Read Maya’s post: https://www.practiceofbeingseen.com/blog/finding-the-new-normal-in-our-post-election-world

To access the guided relaxation recording that Maya offers her community, please visit:http://mayabenattar.com/guided-relaxation

Therapists: You want to explore your unique vision, connect with clients and with yourself, and hone your message. Our unique virtual community is what you’ve been looking for. Learn more and apply to join:

https://www.practiceofbeingseen.com/community-for-therapists/