Self-awareness and self-compassion are the touchstones of this fascinating episode with Dr. Melanie Harth, the Santa Fe Therapist, and Silvia Stenitzer, master psychotherapist and trainer.
Silvia Stenitzer is a licensed psychotherapist in Santa Fe, NM. She’s gathered an eclectic array of well-researched techniques she uses to help her clients, and also to train the trainers.
Silvia “trusts the deep wisdom of the body, our innate self-healing abilities, and the magic of interpersonal connection. Movement, action, psychodrama, improvisation, art expression, dreams, play, meditation are our allies on the journey to Self.”
Melanie and Silvia share thoughts and experiences of the importance of the mind-body connection, and the deep wisdom that we have available to us all the time when we know how to hear it.
Self-Awareness Meaning
Self-awareness simply means being able to see yourself — to feel and name your feelings, hear your thoughts, and understand the connections among your thoughts, emotions and actions. 
Sound simple? Yeah, it’s actually a life-long practice. The good news, though, it that anyone can learn how to become self-aware.
And once you’ve got it, you’ve got it. Which doesn’t mean you’ll do it perfectly; you’ll forget all the time. But when you notice your thoughts spinning out into Disasterville, you’ll be able to bring them back home, to yourself and then make a healthier choice about how you want to be paying attention.
I really like the work of the psychologist and Zen Buddhist teacher Tara Brach, Ph.D. Here’s a guided meditation with her about opening yourself up to self-awareness.
Self-Awareness Example
Self-awareness is an interesting phenomenon. You’d think we’d all know how we’re feeling, and why — what triggered us — to feel what we’re feeling.
But most of us don’t. At all. We’re such a “neck-up” culture, meaning that we believe that our brain lives solely in our heads, with our bodies and energetic hearts and psyche all somehow just along for the ride.
Being self-aware means that you know who you are just right this sec. You learn not to be afraid of your emotions, and you can feel and name them.
There’s great freedom in understanding that how you’re feeling isn’t necessarily something to act on, or react to.
Instead, you can simply recognize your thoughts and beliefs, accept that your thoughts are just thoughts, and your beliefs aren’t necessarily objective Truth with a capital T.
From this profound place of self-awareness, you’re then able to think more clearly, feel more deeply, and make much better decisions and choices.
Self-Compassion Definition
Another powerful practice to cultivate is self-compassion. Because, the truth is, once you begin developing self-awareness, you’ll be seeing and feeling some things about yourself that make a you feel a li’l uncomfortable.
That’s OK. You’re human.
When you can feel compassion — kindness, gentleness, and tenderness — toward yourself, you’ll begin experiencing such delicious and healing things as inner balance and inner harmony.
Basically, self-compassion means treating yourself the way you treat your best friends. You want to be gentle, and kind, and tender … at least most of the time, right?
Self-awareness and self-compassion go hand-in-hand. When you can accept your humanness, and gently hold yourself with kindness, you’ll begin changing your world.
The Santa Fe Therapist
I’m Melanie, and I really love working with people who are searching for peace, way less anxiety, more clarity about their life, help with processing the past and building their future — all of which need a strong dose of self-awareness and self-compassion.
There’s nothing more fulfilling than guiding and teaching you how to start believing in life again.
In balancing the science of therapy with the art of healing, I’ll create an innovative program for you that sets you on a path of success from the very first session. 
Help With Self-Awareness in Santa Fe NM
If you’re feeling out of balance, anxious, sad and lonely, or confused about how self-awareness and self-compassion can help you, please reach out to the Santa Fe Therapist for a free 15-minute phone consult. Send an email to melanie@melanieharth.com and schedule a session.
