Our words reflect our beliefs. Whether conscious or unaware, the language we use for our observations and perceptions communicates what we believe, value, and feel. 

Einfuhlung 

The German word for empathy - meaning a 'feeling into'

How can we know what it feels like to........injure oneself , to hurt so bad due to trauma, abuse, divorce, separation?

One can only attempt to be with you.

The research project aims to explore my experiences and feelings and emotional reactions working alongside individuals who self-injure and to discussions and conversations I have with other therapists and practitioner’s in relation to the subject of self-injury. The research will use this exploration to inform understanding, develop practice, provoke discussion and reflection about the role of fear and the experiencing of strong emotions within the field of counselling and psychotherapy and when working with self-injury. This may broaden existing knowledge around the experiences of therapists working with clients that self-harm. My intention is to try to capture my own reactions whilst simultaneously holding the voices, perceptions and experiences of those I work with and weave these into a story which captures reflections about counselling practice.

The project aims to address the gap in the literature which explores implicit and explicit feelings among therapists working with clients who self-injure and develop a deeper understanding of the emotional realities of working within this field of counselling and psychotherapy. The hope is that this will result in a powerful, evocative personal narrative embedded within a context which has the capacity to expand on and open up a wider lens onto the experience of self-injury, counselling, psychotherapy, teaching, and human emotions.