About J Zukewich Counselling
Curiousity
I am most grateful that as a young person I was supported in my curiosity. I was attracted to the natural world as a place to move my body climbing and exploring which led to guiding opportunities in New Zealand and Vietnam.
My father delighted in the natural world and shared this with our family. Math and science were an extension of this wonder and eventually I was researching the evolution of cooperation at UBC (MSc Mathematics, 2012). My curiosity-first approach meant I found other curious explorers there and felt very much at home, rather than feel lost in such a large academic place.
Care
My curiosity was balanced by my care for my mother. She was sick my entire young life, having had a heart and lung transplant when I was two. It was a backdrop that was and is hard to reckon with because it was woven into the fabric of our lives. It was hard to see because it was everywhere.
What I did know was that my grandma and my aunts were always caring for my mom and filling in where she could not I learned how to anticipate and care for others by watching my female family members. My achilles heel and my super power became that I could read the needs of others quickly.
Compassion
It took a while to not be overwhelmed by my own sensitivity. I have also come to see my ADHD as a form of sensitivity to the present. By extending myself compassion I have been better able to notice and respect my own limits, increasing the amount I can hold for others.
I can now share my compassion with my communities - I run a local game store, worked as a volunteer firefighter, and build exhibition art - and share myself with my clients wholly without fear of burnout. I can show up as my authentic self which I believe is the most healing aspect of relational work.
Calm
I now think of ADHD as a fear of the present. This understanding has helped me to not fight it - I can allow, move through, and find calm again. Nature and movement are allies, as are meaningful pursuits and social ties.
My access to calm is now one of my biggest assets as a counsellor. It feels like a bubble that extends from me as an invitation to calm for my clients.
Creativity
From this place of calm, I seem to be able to create. Whether that's with ideas, or art or movement.
How this shows up in session is an openness to new approaches. We get to create together, which feels profound for me and my clients.
Confidence and Courage
We can do hard things. but we can only do those things when we feel safe. For all the uncertainty around my mothers health, I still felt safe, which is a privilege I'm very humbled by.
It means the world to me to build a safe place for my clients. And we do hard things together in proportion to how safe my clients feel. I believe in the courage of my clients and it seems to help them believe it of themselves.