Radical Acceptance

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Radical Acceptance.

A powerful 2 word combo which one of my clients shared with me during their program wrap up session with me.

According to Marsha Linehan, the creator of Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT), “radical acceptance rests on letting go of the illusion of control and a willingness to notice and accept things as they are right now, without judging.”

What she shared with me in her reflections about what she learned over the course of the last few months working with me, my client said she tried to control all the things in her life from what her dogs may potentially do, to how friends and colleagues perceive her to worrying about what will happen if she doesn’t do x thing(s).

She felt imprisoned by the circumstances of her life. She desired peace and freedom.

She recognized she had specific goals in mind when she first started, but as she moved through the journey, she recognized how life took detours.

Things didn’t evolve as she expected in the beginning.

Fear stopped her in her tracks.

Resistance was the wall blocking her from her own transformation.

What resided on the other side of that wall was peace, ease and freedom.

Fear whispered in her ear, you don’t want that because it will take work, it will require you to do things differently and you have no time.

Her desire for peace and freedom grew, she leaned into the resistance and found that staying in the fear created her suffering.

She also uncovered for herself by leaning into the resistance is how powerful she really is.

She acknowledged fear exists, but rather than giving into it, she took action in spite of it because the suffering in the resistance to change was no longer bearable.

Her confidence grew out of her trust that she can recover and by reminding herself of her purpose.

When I asked her about roadblocks as she progressed, she said her daily practice of centering herself will help her to stay present so she can respond to anything life throws at her with confidence, grace and ease.

She recognizes how there will still be painful experiences in life, but by having radical acceptance and letting go of control, she created her own freedom and peace in her life.

You get to do this too!

Are you willing to let go and step out of fear and break down your wall of resistance?

Let’s chat!

Published by houndbiz

Katherine Porter is a force free, reward based dog behavior advisor and consultant serving clients and their companion dogs worldwide. Her calm and gentle approach in coaching clients in effectively communicating what they want to their dog blends her MSW background into her dog training and behavior practice. Katherine was a behavior consultant for Heeling Hounds after graduation. She opened Four Paws and You Dog Training LLC when the military relocated her family to Fort Sill, OK in 2015. During this time, she volunteered with Rainbow Bridge Can Wait where she provided post adoption consultations to new pet parents. She also developed and implemented tailored behavior modification plans for highly reactive dogs residing at the shelter. She also provided educational programs to military children through interactive workshops at the Fort Sill School Age Center. In 2017, Katherine relocated Four Paws and You Dog Training LLC to Germany. She served the Armed Forces communities in Bavaria. She continued coaching and advising her clients in addressing their companion dog’s fearful and reactive behavioral issues. Katherine takes a Do No Harm approach first and foremost in providing behavioral plans. She is committed in serving clients with gentle and modern science approaches in modifying behavioral concerns such as reactivity, aggression, separation anxiety and fear based responses. Katherine is a member of the Pet Professional Guild. She is focused on integrating a holistic and modern approach in addressing her client’s pet companion reactive behavior issues.

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