River Thomas

About

A moment I never tire of: someone describes their new circumstances in ordinary, unremarkable terms and then stops, because they have just noticed they were not bracing while they said it. The bracing stopped some weeks ago and nobody informed them. That is how these periods usually end, without ceremony. A new chapter becomes ordinary quietly, and most people miss the moment because they were still waiting for a feeling of arrival that never announces itself. We watch for the small signs instead, which is why I ask what seems like an excessive number of questions about your ordinary week. I supervise newer clinicians alongside my practice, and this is the thing I most often ask them to look for. The absence of bracing is data. If you cannot tell whether you have settled, get in touch. Settling is a process rather than an event, and it is almost always noticed late.