Appropriate Responsibility Taking
Today’s post is something that is near and dear to my heart. It is a subject I talk to both my clients and students about. I believe that those of us who are involved in therapy are actually in the responsibility business. For most issues it is impossible for a person to move forward without taking responsibility for where they find themselves. There are of course exceptions to this which is why I talk about appropriate responsibility taking.
A classic example is the ludicrous belief that women should take responsibility for sexual assault because of what they wear. Any right thinking person would see this is a nonsense. However, a person could take responsibility as to how they respond to such an event. In other words, whilst this person should not take responsibility for the act, but by taking responsibility for the response they empower themselves in the long run.
The important question here is whether or not the action that a person takes is the cause of an issue or not. Where it is, it is appropriate to take responsibility for the issue. If their action does not cause the issue it is imperative to let go of the responsibility for the event and rather take responsibility for the response. This simple action puts a person in genuine control of his/her life.
