Pedro is in his early thirties. He lives in Germany, runs a successful audiovisual production company, and is the father of three young children.
From the outside, his life looks like a success: he works in his dream field, loves his family, and enjoys a good standard of living.
And yet, Pedro feels bitter.When achieving the dream isn’t enough
In our first counselling session, he says it several times: “I feel bitter.”
He loves his partner. He loves his children.
But something doesn’t fit. Something weighs on him. Something disconnects him.
He no longer enjoys his work. He feels uneasy in his team. He knows his colleagues tolerate him because he’s the boss.
And the hardest part? He doesn’t know why he feels this way.
When the body says what the mind can’t explain
I suggest a short grounding exercise to help him connect with his body.
He closes his eyes. Breathes. Listens.
What he finds is a tightness in his belly. A knot of sadness. Of dissatisfaction.
Then he says the sentence that sums it all up:
“It shouldn’t be like this. I’ve achieved my dream. I should feel satisfied.”
Dreams also need closure
That phrase reminds me of something therapist and teacher Paolo Quattrini once said:
“When dreams come true, they also die.”
Because they stop being fantasies and become experiences.
And like everything that ends, they require grieving.
Celebrate what’s been achieved. Honour the cycle.
Maybe Pedro doesn’t need a new dream just yet.
Maybe what he needs is to honour the one he already fulfilled, to say goodbye to the version of himself who longed to reach this point.
Celebrate what he’s built. Thank the child who wanted to make movies.
And then… make room for what’s next.
Before spring comes winter
In nature, everything moves in cycles.
And we too need time for pause, introspection, and stillness.
Only by going through this inner winter can a new sprout, a new meaning, a new desire emerge.
And you? Are you honouring your fulfilled dreams?
Sometimes we just feel that “something’s not right” and we can’t quite name it.
And perhaps we simply need to make peace with what was, close unfinished chapters, and open up to what’s coming.
Gestalt therapy can support you in that process —with clarity, compassion and depth.
