Creating the Future || By Elani Engelken MA, MFTC, LPCC

As I have been working with clients lately, I have been struck by the importance of not only working through the past, but also creating the future. While I believe that it is necessary to examine and integrate past traumas and current life challenges, I also think it is imperative to create a powerful and inspiring future. 

The word inspire is, at its root, to inspirit, to breathe in new life. When we feel inspired, we feel invigorated, enlivened, and light. Working in the past can provide relief, can move old habits and disempowering beliefs, but if we don’t also offer future ways of orienting newly, a client can become overcome with self-awareness and not have tools for moving beyond past ways of being.

Looking towards the future is inspiring as it gives us the opportunity to be creative, to create the next chapter of our lives.

As we begin to release past limitations and fear, we open up space for desire. Supporting clients to imagine new possibilities and dreams that feel exciting and challenging will start to inform their choices and behavior in the present moment. 

If this is something that interests you or your clients, feel free to reach out and chat about future based work. I also recommend getting a copy of The Desire Map by Danielle Laporte. There are lots of great journal prompts and exercises that you can use personally and professionally.