So I asked L what "holding space" means. Here's what I wrote and here'd her response:
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Also, what exactly does it mean to "hold space"? Does it mean similar to "come as you are"? To hold space means to allow all your multitudes to be present? To allow what ever is present or whatever comes up?
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I think I mean something similar. So yes to all this. I’d add that It’s about allowing and making time for something—acknowledging it, paying attention to it, taking it into account in how you spend your time, considering it in decision making, taking actions that feel good or necessary to that feeling or fact, prioritizing it as a topic to talk about or explore….
For example, if I say “I hope someone has the space they need for their grief” I mean that I hope the structure of their schedule and the actions/messages/energy of the people around them are supportive of the feeling or facts of grief—not ignoring, not trying to make the grief go away, not getting freaked out, are open to acknowledgements when acknowledgements feel good, attention if attention feels good, etc.
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***This is an exact quote from L. I do not usually share direct things, but I felt this deserved to be shared to help us understand the therapist's perspective on what it means to "hold space".