Beaches

Beaches are commonly used as metaphors in relation to relaxation, but I am mindful that for some people there is not this association, due to negative experiences with beaches during their life journeys.

This is a reminder that in using tools in counselling, one size does not fit all. It is essential to fit the tool to the client (or discard the tool if it is inappropriate for the client), not the client to the tool.

However, for the purpose of this post, I would like to tilt my brain to the positive and share some of the helpful metaphors I associate with beaches. Whilst in Tasmania we sought to minimise the mornings we woke to frozen pipes by trying to stay in coastal caravan parks as much as possible, using them as bases for day trips into the hinterland (mountains, rainforest, waterfalls and gorges) as well as to enjoy the local environment. Thus the photos accompanying this post are all from our recent trip to the Apple Isle.

Unlimited horizons

Whilst standing on a beach and looking out to sea the horizon line is wide and we are looking into deeper distances. So too, it can be useful to seek broader horizons by looking outwards at the wider views of our lives rather than only looking inwards.

Fresh starts every day

It is wonderful to be the first person to leave human footprints on a beach freshly cleaned by a high tide. So too, we can give ourselves a fresh start every day by devising an imagery exercise where we picture the high tide washing away the negatives of the previous day, giving us a clean slate to start the new day, and to take this as it comes.

Soothing our senses

Beaches can refresh all our senses through looking at the beauty of the landscape, listening to the sounds of the waves, tasting the salt in the air, touching the sand with bare feet or the water by paddling, and smelling the freshness of the air (as long as the beach is not littered with decaying seaweed, and then we will have a different experience). In this way we can use imagining being on a beach as a relaxation exercise.

Constant change

Coastal environments are restless areas where waves ebb and flow, erosion is ceaseless and tides rule. This can remind us that nothing is for ever, and that just as some rocks and stones become smoother and more rounded over time, so the jaggedness of our past can sometimes be smoothed as time passes.

Macro and micro views

Looking into rock pools, beach-combing for stones and shells and noticing the footprints of birds and animals in the sand causes us to take a micro view of the macro experience of a coastal environment.  These micro views are windows into beauty and survival and so too, in life, we can take the time to notice strengths and beauty in ourselves and those around us.

Seeking firmer ground

Sand can be soft to sit and rest on, but soft sand is tiring to walk along, leaving me very often to seek firmer sand. So too there are times when it is wiser to seek firmer paths to tread on in life, rather than continue to struggle on a more difficult terrain.

I'm sure there are many other metaphors that can be derived from coasts and beaches. What ones are helpful for you?