Your Journey as a Supporter
Supporting someone through their emotional or mental health journey can bring questions, concerns and sometimes helplessness. You may want to understand what happens in their sessions, how you can contribute, or why certain things are best left to the therapeutic process.
The Butterfly and the Gardener
Once, a gardener noticed a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon. Seeing how hard the little butterfly was trying, he felt sorry for it. He thought it was too young and weak to manage on its own. Wanting to help, he gently opened the cocoon and freed the butterfly from its struggle.
But what happened next was heartbreaking.
The butterfly emerged, but its wings were weak and underdeveloped. It could not fly. What the gardener didn't know was that the struggle to emerge from the cocoon was essential for the butterfly's wings to develop the strength it needed to fly. By removing that struggle, he had unknowingly taken away its opportunity to grow stronger.
The butterfly could not survive for long.
The Moral
Not every struggle needs to be rescued. Sometimes, the very process we want to protect someone from is what helps them develop the strength to move forward.
Support is not about removing every difficulty, finding every answer or taking control of someone else's journey. It is about knowing when to help, when to encourage and when to allow someone the space to find their own strength.​​
At SEVEE, we believe support begins with understanding. You can be involved without taking control, express concern without judgement, and offer support without expecting to have all the answers. Your role is to create space for the person to explore their concerns at their own pace, while respecting their autonomy, privacy and relationship with their therapist. Sometimes, being there means knowing when to step in and when to step back. You can be part of someone's support system without becoming part of every therapeutic conversation.
Their journey. Their pace. Your support.