"who am I? what am i? are no longer important questions.
knowing that i am is finally enough..."
~ written by Los Angeles poet Wanda Coleman
It's a question that doesn't go away. Sometimes it whispers in the background of our day-to-day life. Other times it rises up with urgency: Who am I… really?
For many people, this question comes during a moment of transition — a breakup, a career change, a loss, or simply a quiet realization that the version of themselves they've been living no longer fits. But the truth is, we don't need a crisis to start wondering. Self-reflection is part of being human.
In therapy, this question shows up more often than you'd think. Not always directly — but in the form of anxiety, people-pleasing, depression, or disconnection. Beneath those struggles, we often find parts of the self that have been silenced, hidden, or contorted to meet someone else’s expectations.
Exploring the question “Who am I?” in individual counseling isn’t about finding a fixed identity. It’s about giving yourself permission to evolve. To notice what you’ve outgrown. To reconnect with values, desires, or dreams you may have abandoned. To feel at home in your own skin — maybe for the first time.
Therapy doesn’t give you a definitive answer to who you are. But it can help you start living as someone who gets to decide.
You might also relate to:
- Imposture Syndrome: We All Experience It (But We Don’t Have To!)
- How Can I Come to Feel More Comfortable in Therapy?
- Dealing with Holiday Depression
“Who am I?” isn’t always a question we need to answer. Sometimes, it’s a question we learn to live alongside — with more gentleness, honesty, and freedom.