Found your tribe? Belonging is a fundamental aspect of therapy that affects our healing and growth. In the therapeutic context, belonging refers to us being understood, accepted, and valued within the therapeutic relationship. Does that mirror what may or may not be happening outside for the client?

When you feel a sense of belonging in therapy, you experience a safe and supportive environment in order to freely express yourself without judgment or the fear of rejection. In times of polarised views that last part can be kinda tricky. A sense of belonging fosters trust, it enables us to open up, explore emotions, and share our vulnerabilities. When we don’t feel we belong there can be distrust, we close off and our views become entrenched. We witness this online a lot in my opinion, the online connections can be polarised and make us feel further disconnection. They can be good also!

Belonging in therapy can be experienced as feeling connected to your therapist and having a collaborative relationship that is working for you. For some people that alone can be an immense relief in itself. Humanistically, a therapist's empathy, compassion, and genuineness contribute to a sense of being seen and heard, and can hopefully foster a deeply validating and healing experience. That connection may foster the feeling that your experiences and perspectives matter, that you are not alone in your struggles. That can be the most difficult aspect of all…when you feel alone with your feelings and your sense of belonging is shaken. Is it time to connect to one person as a starting point to further relationships?