Before and After

Living Before and After

Life is full of Before and Afters; it really is a whole collection of transitions and how we manage these will in turn determine how we cope. We have all seen those before and after photographs to do with dieting, cosmetic surgery, injuries and disasters.  We have admired photographs of hair cuts, new clothes and gardens in bloom and hopefully not in the disaster category, you’ve taken some photographs of your DIY projects! Sometimes these transitions are full of sadness such as a bereavement or other loss. We remember with regret how we were before an event and can struggle to resolve the associated pain. At times the after period can generate hope and optimism such as when we learn new skills get a new job or come into some money. Even the process of ageing is a whole series of before and afters and can bring a mixture of feelings and sometimes a few aches and pains.

Before and After Therapy

Therapy is in part, much about the before and after. At Brighton Therapy Service we think that the purpose of therapy is to help people move comfortably from a before into an after in a positive way and with increased confidence and insight. The before stage is where people realise they might need some support and get to the point of asking for help.  The after stage is where the person is helped to adjust through talking and thinking, gaining understanding and building strategies to manage the conflict associated with what might have happened or is happening.

Before and After: Alex’ Story

One child has been seeing Rose for about two years and felt able to produce the drawing below.  Alex (not the child’s real name) said,

” This piece of art shows how sad people are before counselling and how amazing they feel after.”

Both Rose and Michele are able to use the arts in therapy to help people, including children and young people, to express their thoughts and feelings.  It isn’t always necessary or useful but it can help some people relax and if communicating or articulating ideas is a problem, it can provide another way for things to be shared.

Exploring Your Before and Afters

The drawing above conveys a transformation.  It’s a simple message but you can see what the child is thinking and feeling in those lines and colours.  Those Before and After sections in the picture were what helped to write this item yet it probably says things more eloquently than I have.  If you are struggling with moving through change then perhaps talking to someone might help so please do make contact.  Tell us what  you think about the picture and maybe share some of your ideas about change.

Get in Touch

This was written by Rose and you can contact her here.