According to Cambridge Dictionary, healing is the process by which a bad situation or painful emotion either ends or improves (Cambridge dictionary: Find definitions, meanings & translations 2022).  Growth, according to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, is a series of physical changes that occur from conception through maturity (APA Dictionary of Psychology 2022). These two terms have one thing in common: a particular journey you must go through to achieve either objective. Healing for me is a journey of self-reflection, counseling, and forgiveness. Self-reflection can happen during both processes but it’s important during the healing process because when you are able to reflect back on past experiences, you are able to get to the root of that problem more clearly. Once you are able to dissect the root of the problem, that is when the healing journey has begun. Secondly, counseling can be a great tool to guide you through this process. So, you have now established the root problem and are seeking professional help. Seeking professional help can be challenging to begin with, but it can be so beneficial in providing a safe space to process this problem, learn new skills, and even work towards forgiveness towards yourself or others. Finally, forgiveness can be a freeing experience. Once you have let go of the pain you have held on to, you are able to feel the release of emotional bondage and be free of those negative thoughts. 

Growth is similar to healing but I believe it occurs after healing. Growth to me is the process of getting out of your comfort zone, learning, and repetition. Both are processes individually, but I believe can be completed simultaneously. During the process of healing, you are self-reflecting, seeking additional help, and forgiving. However, during growth you are moving beyond that and becoming a new refreshed, healed version of yourself by getting out of your comfort zone, learning, and repetition. For many, the duality of both processes is challenging and can be quite exhausting. 

Personally, I can relate to this notion all too well. Junior year of my undergraduate college career, I experienced a serious injury to my knee while playing collegiate soccer. It was devastating and ended my college soccer career sooner than expected. I was in a position to figure out my passions outside of soccer. At this point, I had played soccer for my entire life, as early as I can remember. It became my identity. So of course, I went through surgery and did physical therapy to heal physically. But, I was broken on the inside and decided to make a change. Self-reflection was the first step. I reflected on what I was currently studying in school and analyzed my vision for myself in the future, and I enjoyed helping others and making a positive impact on people’s lives. So, I did further research on what I could do professionally. A therapist was the end decision and I began to make moves to ensure that could happen for me. The second thing I did was seek counseling myself, I got myself a therapist and processed everything with her. It was super helpful and allowed me to see myself healing physically and mentally. Thirdly, I forgave the person from the other team for ending my student-athlete career while thanking her, because without that experience I am not sure I would have healed in the way I did. Growth for me is a continuous journey. In this situation, I not only healed but I grew as an individual and grew my network professionally, by stepping out of my comfort zone. 

Present day, I still aspire to be a phenomenal therapist that makes a difference and positive impact on everyone that I call my client. I believe both healing and growth are essential in every individual's life. 

References:

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Apa Dictionary of Psychology. American Psychological Association. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://dictionary.apa.org/growth 

Cambridge dictionary: Find definitions, meanings & translations. Cambridge Dictionary: Find Definitions, Meanings & Translations. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/