The Wounded Healer
When we experience the healing presence
of another person, we can discover our own gifts of healing. Then our wounds
allow us to enter into a deep solidarity with our wounded brothers and
sisters.
To enter into solidarity with a
suffering person does not mean that we have to talk with that person about our
own suffering. Speaking about our own pain is seldom helpful for someone who is
in pain. A wounded healer is someone who can listen to a person in pain without
having to speak about his or her own wounds. When we have lived through a
painful depression, we can listen with great attentiveness and love to a
depressed friend without mentioning our experience. Mostly it is better not to
direct a suffering person’s attention to ourselves. We have to trust that our
own bandaged wounds will allow us to listen to others with our whole beings.
That is healing.”
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