Times are changing for the better. We’re now on a journey to leave behind regressive views and problematic behavior. However, no matter the intention, we may still find ourselves guilty of being insensitive sometimes. You might be wondering if you’ve unknowingly done or said things you shouldn’t have. Or perhaps you’ve caught yourself failing to be inclusive in some instances.
Talking to a therapist can benefit you in your journey or adventure therapy toward being more aware and inclusive. It’s not going to be easy, and you may need to break old habits and build new ones. However, you’ll be able to do it with your adventure therapy advisor’s help, especially if your heart is in the right place.
It’s not going to be an overnight event. Instead, it will be a multi-step process of recognizing your biases and being more sensitive to others. With willingness and forgiveness, you’ll be able to help make the world more inclusive for you and others.
Recognizing Your Situation
Before anything else, you must first understand your situation. After all, the changes you want to see should start within yourself. Your therapist will help you address your experiences, problems, and issues and understand how you feel about them. Talk to them about your thoughts and opinions on things as well. Doing this will make you recognize your existing biases, making your therapist know how to help you best.
This stage may not be easy. After all, you’ll be sharing your thoughts and emotions with someone not particularly close to you. But this will be crucial to kickstart your journey toward being more inclusive. If things get overwhelming, don’t hesitate to tell your therapist because your well-being is their top priority.
Treating Underlying Conditions
Aside from processing your feelings and experiences, your therapist will also aim to treat any underlying conditions you might have. They’ll guide you through steps to figure out if you’re experiencing some mental or emotional issues. They will help you identify depression and anxiety contributors, as well as help you get the best treatment to combat them. And if you’re not, then they’ll help prevent any from developing.
Depression, anxiety, emotional instability, and anger management issues are some of the most common conditions experienced by some. These can considerably influence how you interact with people. Moreover, mental concerns can also affect how your mind functions and handles situations. Treating or preventing these conditions will help you be freer to focus on your relationships with other people and yourself.
Being In Tune With Your Emotions
Your emotions will be one of the main driving factors in how you interact with others. With your therapist’s help, you’ll be able to layout your feelings on different things. In addition, they’ll aid you in understanding why you feel the way you do. This step is vital in discovering your biases and prejudices.
Being in tune with your emotions also entails having control over them instead of letting them control you. This can aid you in being more inclusive. By being in touch with your feelings, you’ll be able to treat others with inclusivity. You’ll be able to prevent yourself from having untoward reactions, more so if you used to behave disrespectfully even when you don’t mean to.
Exercising Mindful Communication
One essential part of being inclusive is exercising mindful communication. That involves being aware of how you talk, what you say, and why you vocalize such thoughts. Your personal growth therapy advisor will help you develop the kind of sensitivity you need to convey your consideration of the plight of others.
Therapy, especially family therapy, will help you be more sensitive when communicating with people. Not using slurs, ceasing from hurling insults, being more tactful with your words—your therapist will guide you through these. It will also entail being aware of how to communicate with oppressed groups, like the Black and LGBTQ+ communities.
You’ll have to shed any oppressive notions and vocabulary you’ve gotten used to growing up. It will take a lot of patience and forgiveness for yourself, but it will benefit you and everyone else.
Practicing Thoughtful Behavior
Along with your way of communicating, your behavior, habits, and mannerisms will also need to change for the better. Movies and other popular media influence much of how we act, and these factors often come with discriminatory implications. Some things you’ve grown up with might be oppressive and prejudiced against select marginalized communities.
Your therapist can help you break these behaviors and establish healthier habits. Again, this stage may not be easy. After all, we’ve been exercising these behaviors for so long. There may be times when you find yourself slipping, but you must be able to forgive yourself. It’s a process. And with your persistence and your therapist’s guide, you’ll be able to change for the better.
Learning About Available Resources
To be inclusive, you must understand what other people are going through. After all, you can’t be sensitive to an issue if you don’t know why you have to be mindful about it in the first place. That includes learning about racism, sexism, religious oppression, and many more. You may find yourself thinking it’s too much, but remember, society has been oppressing these communities for a long time.
Your therapist can refer you to available resources you can learn from to understand these issues better. People say “knowledge is power” for a reason. The more educated you are about something, the better you’ll know how to think and act appropriately.
To Wrap Up
The world is changing for the better. With that said, there are quite a few notions and behaviors we must eradicate to be more inclusive. It’s what oppressed communities deserve, especially after being deprived of their rights for so long. Therapy can help you in your journey of embracing the beautiful diversity we have in the world.
Your therapist will aid you in becoming a better version of yourself. They can help you address your situation and your underlying conditions. In addition, your therapist can guide you in understanding your emotions to become in tune with them.
They’ll also be there to aid you in becoming more mindful of your words and actions. Finally, your therapist can refer resources to guide you in learning about the communities we need to empower.
Becoming more inclusive won’t happen overnight. You may even find yourself stumbling at times but remember to be more forgiving of yourself. You’re doing the right thing by giving people the love and inclusion they deserve. When things get hard, keep in mind that your therapist will be beside you the entire way.