A Rose by Any Other Name . . .

If you’ve been following me at all, you may have seen this quote around my website, business cards, email footer, and social media pages:

“There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anais Nin

I first heard that quote years ago, working in a residential treatment center. We would hold graduation ceremonies for clients who had completed the program, and as therapists, we often gave them a small speech and some meaningful quotes to take with them. 

Another therapist shared this quote with her client one of the first weeks I worked there, and the words immediately resonated within me. I’ve never forgotten it and have shared it many times with clients since that moment. 

Change is so difficult and scary. So many of us avoid it at all costs, even to the point of hurting ourselves in the process. Willingness to change - or to bloom - is key in therapy. We become willing to take the risk to be vulnerable, to grow, to blossom. This incredible transformation is something I have the honor of seeing in my clients time and time again.

So Why Did I Name My Practice Rosebud Psychotherapy?

When registering and creating a business, you have to come up with a name. I knew that I could easily become stuck in overthinking the name, and I’ve seen many other therapists lose their minds in the process, too. 

I’d seen other therapists use their own names, though that didn’t feel quite right for me. But a compromise - Rosebud. My middle name is Rose, and Rosebud is a childhood nickname of mine. I love the magic of roses blooming, and both the above quote and the general metaphor of a rosebud unfolding helped me decide fairly quickly - Rosebud Psychotherapy. 

The Rosebud Metaphor

We therapists love a good metaphor, and the process of a flower growing, or in this case a rosebud blossoming, is a fantastic metaphor for both life and the therapeutic journey. 

We all begin as a seed, buried in the dark, hoping we receive the nutrients and care we need to shoot out of the ground and into the light. The journey of life continues as we slowly go from a small green shoot, stretching toward the sky, and into a tight bud. Some of us stay tightly in that bud, but others bloom.

Just like us, a bud must unfurl in its own time and design. It depends on the environment to nurture it and allow it the opportunity to fully bloom. It requires water, the warmth of the sun, nutrient rich soil, tender pruning and care, to fully unfold. We require many of the same things; sadly, not all of us receive them. Here is the nurture part of nature/nurture. 

Remember our environment and the people surrounding us can support or hinder our growth. Do the people around you support you, shelter you, accept you? Are there forces in the world (sexism, racism, and other societal ills) that try to hinder your growth? Do some people just want to preserve you as you are? What holds you back from unfolding?

Choosing to Bloom 

Looking at the life cycle of a rose, really, all of the stages are beautiful. But we only become the rose if we are willing to be open and vulnerable and to show our whole selves to the world. 

The journey of growth takes courage, risk, and the right conditions. Growth is inevitably uncomfortable. If you try to stay safe, holding yourself tightly in a bud, you risk much more - never fully living your life. 

So, I hope you grow. I hope you have the support and courage to make a change. Honestly, we can’t avoid change. We can accept it and grow with it, or we can resist it and add to our suffering. I hope you learn to embrace the unknown and take the risk to fully bloom, wherever you are planted.

And that, my readers, is why my practice is named Rosebud Psychotherapy. I want to help my clients release their fears and to take the chance to grow from the rosebud into the rose. 

Happy Blooming

Maggie

Want to work with Maggie? Reach out for your free phone consultation.