That Thorn in Your Side is Grown from Within

Sometimes when a person comes to therapy, they can sense that they are angry, maybe even bitter about the world around them. They are jealous of the opportunities others have and often seek validation that others aren’t as deserving, or that stewing in this irritability is righteous. However, I see it as avoiding the real issue. Like Joan Didon describes, "To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self." In therapy, we aim to address problems, and jealousy has little to do with the world around us, and more to do with how we feel within ourselves. When we slow down to notice that dissatisfaction, we can work to figure out what we want to do with it, either doing something about it with our actions, or changing what expectations or judgements we choose to hold onto.

"To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self."

~ Joan Didion