If you’re active on social media, you may have seen the following article from the New York Times floating about exploring the instagram-therapist phenomenon.
You might have also noticed that as a group practice, Greenlake Wellness Group is active on the socials, specifically on Instagram and Facebook. Yes, as a collective of mental health professionals, Greenlake Wellness has chosen to engage with social media. You know, the platforms you turn to for some mindless scrolling when you need a brain break or a dopamine hit. We’ve got our vices too.
We do so with the recognition that the words, images, and soundbites we take in are important—however insane they seem. They matter a great deal. The stories, sounds, and text that color our days have the power to impact our emotional state, encourage us, and send us spiraling into FOMO.
Rumor has it that the world of constant connection and engagement can lead to isolation, diminished our tolerance for boredom, and spread rumors that this addiction might even lead to the development of new body parts (ahem, brain stem nub). You might be wondering, why join up? Why would we choose to engage in platforms that create illusions of quantified popularity with metrics like friends, followers, and likes? We asked ourselves that question too.
We intend to engage social media platforms not to add to the noise of your feeds, but as a way to share things we find valuable. In reflecting on the value of resources, Greenlake Wellness Group co-founder, Julia Jenkins shared that that “Some of us learn throughout our experiences that there aren’t resources.” “That the people and things around us are not enough. When we don’t have resources we tend to be living in scarcity.”
We’re firm believers that there is enough in the universe for you. That you are enough. That’s why we see value in therapy, and that is why we are on these platforms. We share content with hopes that the words, images, and resources we offer help cultivate a sense of “enoughness” and equip you with tools for your journey, and the comfort to ask for help when you need it.
Social media is no substitute for a therapy. While helpful and uplifting, no amount of #selfcaresunday or posts about the enneagram and attachment theory adds up to the value created by a therapeutic relationship. Therapy is not a “quick fix” or form of entertainment, but a process that facilitates change and work towards a sense of vitality and presence. It’s a way to cultivate the tools that we need to heal and thrive.
In therapy we get to examine the patterns and mechanisms we once found helpful, but now find unhelpful or outdated. In addressing wounds, trauma, and conflicts, we get to choose new resources—tools that help, tools that heal. Working towards change and learning to use new tools can be awkward and difficult. It’s an investment, of time, resources, and emotional energy. At Greenlake Wellness Group, we believe it is so, so worth it. And you are too.