I have found myself thinking more and more about the idea of "personal branding”, which seems to me to be presented in the mainstream as synonymous to one’s essence. However, I am not convinced that the two are the same, and I often wonder at what point in time will society truly and deeply reflect on and question the demand that everyone act as though they are a commodity. Thus, granting each individual permission to ask that they be looked at, appreciated, and Accepted for their inherent value in light of simply being human. as a therapist, I am fully aware that at the core of what I have to offer clients is my presence and humanity, which can not be (Nor shall it be) generalized, minimized, or packaged as something to be bought and sold.

In much the same way, it is the uniqueness of my clients’ Personalities, spirits, and stories that genuinely reflect the vitality of their identity, while also providing the reserves of resiliency necessary for the healing of their distinctive psychic and emotional wounds. If the most basic needs of an individual include being truly seen and known within the context of loving and safe relationships, what than does Personal branding intended to convey a persona really have to do with the self (behind the marketing of the person)? As I write, I am aware that I run the risk of moving against the current, while also recognizing that it is only in doing so that we gain strength and greater understanding of where the boundary between ourselves and the world resides.

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“I am a broken person. And I know exactly where my cracks are and how deep they run. I don't pretend to not be a broken person and therein lies the big difference. Because the truth is, we are all broken in places, but it is those who know exactly where and how they are broken, who also know exactly where and how they are whole! And we may not be whole in all places and in all ways, but we take whatever wholeness that we do have, and we make good of it. And we try hard to work on the broken parts, and we ask for help when we need it.” ― C. JoyBell C.