The Gladiator in You

I can’t tell you how many Gladiators I see in my counseling office.

“You mean the Olivia Pope kind?” you ask.

Yes, my dear Scandal fans, exactly that kind!

And while Quinn, Abby, and Olivia would make for exciting clients (Sorry Huck, I only serve women in my practice!), this post is about the valiant Gladiators who aren’t seen on TV — my clients.

Several times a week, I have the honor of sitting with women who bravely venture into their inner world.

They expose their wounds and wade through their fears.

They show up and face the gremlins that lurk in the closets of their painful memories.

And after a particularly tough, vulnerable session (a “rumble in the ring” of sorts) that leaves them tender and raw, ready to escape from the center stage of the arena, aka, my office – they courageously return for another round.

Digging for Gold

Olivia Pope’s Gladiators dig up dirt on everyone from politicians to campaign aides. My clients dig through their own dirt (we all have some!) and face the truth of their life stories. Scary, yes! But together, we devotedly connect the dots that lead to clues for deeper insight and understanding in their lives.

And those Gladiator super skills? We’ve come to know Huck as the tech guru, Quinn “roughs” folks up, Abby has the sassy investigator skills, and Olivia just handles things. The Gladiator women I work with have their super skills too (sometimes referred to as gifts in my office): intuition, self-compassion, confidence, resilience, tenacity…the list goes on.

Many of my clients are not aware of their superpowers initially, but over time we work to uncover them, which ultimately supports their dreams, aspirations, and life purpose.

Owning Your Story

For all those who are familiar with the background of our beloved TV Gladiators, you know that each one of them has a story with a painful past. They all faced challenges that needed mending. And just like them, every one of my clients has a story to tell and own. We all do! We also have problems that need mending. And we’ve screwed up, succumbed to fear, yelled at someone we love, or numbed our pain. It’s these pieces that give our stories life.

So, perhaps you can relate to being a Gladiator too?

If you’re having trouble finding your way, believing in yourself, feeling broken, or trusting that things will ever get better, please know that you have what it takes to engage with your inner Gladiator. You may need a little help tapping into it, but with hard work and perseverance, together we can go after it!

Want to get to know your inner Gladiator? I will support you in bravely owning your story, connecting the dots, and discovering your own superpowers. Contact me for a private consultation.

Photo credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin. CC BY-ND 2.0