What is a Graceful Nexus?
I see a nexus as the central point where multiple things come together at the same time.
Moments of development unfold like this, where children experience so many things at once and we don’t always know what’s happening when they do. The same is true of major moments in our lives: career decisions, family transitions, crossroads, and moments of grief.
When something is lost, what does this leave room for us to become?
We cannot avoid these moments of change, but we can choose how we move through them. While these experiences can be chaotic and uncomfortable, we have a choice in what we do with them.
Sometimes it’s not a decision, it’s a discernment. Often these moments of change are not meant for us to fully understand what’s happening, or to fight against them. Instead they are asking us to sit back and see what’s being shown to us so we can move with the shifts as they unfold.
These experiences can usher in immense growth, or they can hold us back from reaching all the potential we hold within. In these moments, all directions are available to us in the form of a critical turning point.
When we are able to lean into the change, we shift the very path we’re walking on. As we journey bravely through the discomfort, we are led through great transformation into moments of relief.
In moving through these changes, we emerge as a new version of ourselves, forever altered by what we experience. We can resist the process or we can navigate gracefully through this beautiful nexus, allowing it to guide us to a new place, transformed.
Cynthia Howard
PhD, LCSW, PPSC
Engineer, Counselor, School Social Worker
I have been supporting families and their children as a peer counselor, lactation consultant, parent educator, and social worker for over twenty-five years.
My experience in engineering taught me that we never have all the information, and a single model cannot cover all the bases. Rather than striving to figure out every detail, we get to focus on the most important pieces, define our values, and move forward from here.
By determining your non-negotiables, you’re able to find a clear path forward through any transition that presents itself to you.
I use a mix of modalities including CBT, narrative, and art-based activities in my work to connect with people on multiple levels through the head, heart, and soul.
In our work together, we’ll focus on the most important pieces of your experience, define your values, determine your non-negotiables, and find a clear path forward through the transitions you’re navigating.
For example, I love working with parents around the inevitable shifts we face as our kids change and grow.
Changes can be challenging and bring up feelings of grief and sadness. We can use these feelings as a catalyst for expansion to claim your deepest self through the experience.
I can walk with you through these transitions and help you to navigate them with confidence and grace. Through this reflective and connective process, we can turn these times of transition into powerful moments of growth and creativity.