Perspective

On Perspective…

Living through a global pandemic has reinforced many things including gratitude for our health and family, and appreciation for activities we may have taken for granted. We have also learned more about perspective and how seeing others in better or worse circumstances can inform how we feel about our own circumstances. Perspective is healthy and helpful—it allows us to see a bigger picture or focus on the smaller details if we need to, and it can provide a barometer for our own feelings and experiences.

Surprisingly however, perspective can also be a barrier to our own growth and healing. When we have awareness of serious challenges that others are facing, whether they are people we know or strangers in another country, we often work to downplay or suppress our own problems. We tell ourselves that things could be so much worse, that we need to be grateful for what we have, or even that our issues are “champagne problems.” We might even feel guilt or shame about complaining, feeling emotional about these matters, or asking for help.

While empathy and consciousness around what others are going through are beautiful and important parts of the human experience, we personally may be feeling stress, pain, anxiety, or something that is just not allowing us to be our best selves. And that deserves attention and validation regardless of the size or scope of it compared to the other problems around us.

There has been more acceptance of and emphasis on mental healthcare, but we still have a long way to go. Mental healthcare is not just for the trauma recoveries, the addictions, and the disorders, but also for turning to therapy to repair or improve connections, to lighten a heavy cognitive load, or to help find direction and crystallize goals and values. Perspective will always tell us that “things could be worse,” but it’s also okay to understand when something—however small—is not working and that things could be better.

Allyson Lane, M.S., LPC Associate Supervised by Jan C. Shope, M.A., LPC-S

Seeking relief, healing, clarity, or connection is what most often sends clients looking for a therapist. And for good reason—these are needs that make it hard to function and thrive when they’re not being met. My goal is to create a collaborative, supportive environment where together we can attend to these needs without distraction or judgment and can build skills to help fill those needs in the future.

Positive and productive time as a counseling client myself, as well as diverse family, life, and work experiences inform my approach. I am often guided by principles of Solution-Focused and Acceptance and Commitment Therapies, but ultimately for me, I am most focused on building a therapist-client relationship based on trust and authenticity.

I received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and a Master of Science in Professional Counseling with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Grand Canyon University. I live in the Lake Travis area with my husband and two children. I am supervised by Jan C. Shope, M.A., LPC-S.