Respect the other’s freedom… so you can be yourself
Sometimes, an uncomfortable truth appears: we are free, yes, but our freedom ends where the other’s begins. And it’s precisely there where many of our conflicts begin.
Clash or connection?
When two people meet, two things can happen: a fight or a dance.
And often, both alternate. Why?
Because something real is at stake.
What do we play out in relationships?
Sometimes we want to be right.
Sometimes we want to control.
Sometimes we just wish the other person were who we want them to be.
That’s dangerous.
Because we turn the other into a mirror of our expectations, and we forget to respect their right to be themselves.
The urge to change others (and its origin)
Oddly enough, our first instinct in many relationships is not to accept, but to correct.
That urge runs deep.
As children, many of us learned that we needed to be what others wanted — even if it came from love:
“I do this for your own good,” “I just want you to be happy.”
But there’s a problem: happiness doesn’t come from changing who you are.
It comes from being fully yourself, with authenticity and permission.
What if you stopped correcting and started listening?
As adults, we repeat this pattern with ourselves:
I feel sad… but I don’t allow it.
I get angry… and I suppress it.
I fall in love… and I hide it.
What if the first step wasn’t to change, but to accept?
What if, instead of trying to fix yourself, you started asking who you really are?
Gestalt doesn’t give advice
Because no advice can replace personal discovery.
Because only you know what you need.
What we do is offer a space where you can look at yourself, listen to yourself, and start loving who you are, with all your parts.
Are you ready to stop correcting yourself?
If it’s time to stop fighting who you are and start living with authenticity, Gestalt counselling can walk with you.
