Hello Everyone,

Not sure what part of the World you’re in, but in my neck-o-the-woods it’s
|||Back To School |||  Time

For some I guess that’s a BIG YAAAAAAYYYY!!! | while for others a nay.

|I know those look like jail cell bars around ‘Back To School’, but they’re not… really|.

Anyway, wherever you are on that Yay!/nay
c o n t i n u u m,

I thought it would be timely to write an academic, School Related post.

Not an academic paper!   A simple,  un-academic,  blog. post. Don’t panic.             Yet.

MA|TH|ERAPY | Math Therapy 101 |MA+TH+ERAPY

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Brief intro |         

 …page filler really ….

I did a post a while back called:  Feelin’ Aliiiiiiive*

That begged the question:

how is spacewalking like therapy? *

                                                                                                              *and yet another gratuitous self-plug

Today,
students, we will – as the title suggests –  ask the question how is  Math like Therapy?

***        Have a seat at your desk and let’s begin.           ***

I’ve always liked learning new stuff; stuff I’m interested in. Never cared all that much for school though. That’s probably the main reason I started this blog. It is a way to share {my perspective} on what I have learned and love, in a way that is (hopefully) fun & entertaining.

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***
Let’s put all those concepts, ideas and things you know about therapy aside for a little while and take a look at Therapy as if it were a Mathematical Equation
***

But 1st,

…let’s make it quite clear that I am in no way, shape or form a math teacher or mathematician myself — I’m a therapist …I do listening, responding, empathising, patience, billing, booking, referrals, client notes and accounts, peer supervision, group therapy, couples work, process group work and that sort of stuff {some of it I admit I do better than others — but that’s another post}.  I don’t do numbers — except for billing …and setting dates & times for appointments.

If I am to understand correctly [and please keep in mind I am NOT a mathematician]  the numbers on either side of the | equal = sign | should,  well you know,  Equal one another. ..more or less ..after all is said and done. In other words, be Balanced.    Correct?

Well, in the same light we can look at ourselves trying to come to understanding and ,   resolution with imbalances in our own lives.

If you** look at–> the (a) health, (b) $$, (c) family, (d) relationship,
(e) work (f) etc.): issues, troubles, problems, drama,
meanness, cruelty, unfairness, slights,
misunderstandings, misrepresentations,
untruths, falsifications, back-stabbing, blatant lies,
libel, slander, defamation of character, scheming,
theft/stealing/embezzling and any other, all and
 sundry, criminal behaviours vehemently projected at –>                                                         you**
 ^                                                                                                                                                                                 ^
 ^                                                                                                                                                                                 ^
 ^On this side of the equation^                                                                           ^and you on the other^

                                                    a + b + c + d + e + f ≠ you                              

How does one go about balancing this equation ? 
____________________________________

Now,

                 … I’m not sure that things are all Black  & White  in Math-Land
I’m going to guess that they pretty much are ..mostly, at least… after all is said and done,
Correct?
Up until {perhaps/maybe?}, the Quantum Physics level where things go waaaaaaay! beyond my understanding

AND,

             …they are definitely  NOT  B&W  in  Therapy-Land;  there are more  shades of
grey (yes, more than 50) than Crayola has made crayons – or ever will.

THAT BEING SAID,

               …typically – and very understandably – most of us would go about trying to
|Balance this Imbalance | & | Find some Kind of Acceptable Equilibrium|
by trying to ‘fix‘ the problems, ‘change‘ the thinking and behaviours of the offending    parties and ‘correcting’ or ‘undoing’ the damage already done…

                                || Where’s BATMAN when you need him!? >>> fire up the BAT SIGNAL ||

…to the point of  [probably] feeling completely overwhelmed, defeated, discouraged, enraged, sad, in fear,  depressed  {need I go on dear reader} …sigh

OKAY,

…here’s the simple solution you’ve all been waiting for. The invaluable piece of info that has kept you reading all this time >

and you’re [probably] not going to like it – even though it is simple –
— simple yes, but not without it’s challenges —

Most of us COMPLETELY ignore the most IMPORTANT part of the equation

and/or we COMPLETELY ~ resist/refuse/avoid/whatever you want to call it ~
acting on & from this most IMPORTANT part

*ONE’S-SELF*
**I ignore My-Self**
&

***YOU IGNORE YOUR-SELF***

 ‘NAY, BUT THAT BE AN UNTRUTH‘,  THOU PROTESTS

{in case you forgot, this is a school lesson –> I had to throw in some Shakespeare}

I can understand how you might believe that isn’t true.

After all, you’re saying I don’t like This, I don’t want That.

I need such & such to change I need so & so to go to h*** I want $$ in  compensation for my pain & suffering etc. etc.

Blame / Fault Finding / Projected ‘Shoulds’ {see my last post}

=

…with these statements you are being  totally focused on what you Don’t Want, on what you need/want to change because it makes you FEEL awful

— and that’s Not A Bad Thing = CLARITY = the clarity of knowing what you DO NOT WANT!

BUT,

        … that’s  less than half of  that half  of the equation = less than 1/4 of the whole equation

Let me explain,

 It is so much more important to FOCUS on what you DO WANT >

>> and you have to know what you do not want

>>>in order to know what you DO want

= the whole duality|polarity|contrast|Black&White|Hi&Lo|hot-cold|night-day|you-can’t-have-one-without-the-other| thingy going on.  Right?

 

 

SO,

 

 

on one side of the |<equation =| is the other people’s Storm

And on your side of the |equation =| is YOU / Peace–>

***
Storm ≠ YOU / Peace
***

Believe it or not = TMN’s {not Ripley’s} believe it or not.
If you haven’t practiced the following very much;
you are probably leaning towards ‘not’ believing.
However, you will be delightfully amazed to see how easily those troublesome things are dealt with by NOT worrying about them, and not giving them too much attention,
or too much of your time and energy.

Reminder:

No matter how corny or cliché this sounds…

Everything on YOUR SIDE of the |Equation =| must all be about stuff that makes YOU FEEL GOOD | Happy | Satisfied | Content | Peaceful | Centred | Calm | Relaxed | Light | Clear | Focused | Present/Here-NOW | Engaged | Interested | Excited | Aware | Abundant | Well | Ease

Even when you aren’t feeling any of these things you can look around for them and do/think/imagine/ask for help/whatever you can to move yourself in their direction.

Practice. Then practice some more. Don’t Stop. 

Eventually, with practice,  your equation will 1st FEEL like this

And 2nd,  with a little more practice, eventually LOOK & Be like this–>

= YOU

After all – we all need a touch (but only a touch) of the unwanted stuff in our lives to maintain Balance

 

I think that is worth a bit of practice ..don’t you?

Class dismissed

…and don’t forget your homework for tomorrow

Ps. I really like using all those *******************************************************************************today 🙂