Newfound Capacities in Therapy

In therapy, ‘newfound capacities’ are the internal tools and strengths you didn't know you had—or were blocked—until healing started. Capacities are both the practice of recovery but also the outcomes of healing. They aren’t just ‘better habits’; they are fundamental shifts in how you relate to yourself, your thoughts and feelings, and the people around you.

These capacities allow you to feel 'Real' again.

  • Capacity to feel your own inherent unconditional worth

  • Greater Self-acceptance & Self-compassion; Being your own ally

  • Greater emotional flexibility; Capacity to feel a wide range of natural emotions including joy, anger and suffering

  • Capacity for new perspectives & outlooks

  • Clearer sense of identity

  • Capacity to discern safety & trustworthiness in relationships

  • Capacity to extend respect & care to others

  • Capacity to draw comfort from relationships

  • Capacity to feel relaxed in your body; Capacity to sense your body

  • Capacities for rest & observing healthy limits

  • Courage to express yourself more honestly & openly

  • Capacity to care for yourself in behaviors & decisions

  • Capacity to repair conflict with others

  • Greater capacity for self-reflection

  • Connecting to Creativity & Creative Practices

  • Capacity to receive feedback from others

  • Capacity to be mindfully present in daily life & activities

  • Capacity to engage meaningfully with others

  • Motivation, Persistence & Purpose; Capacity to connect and stick with meaningful activities, goals, relationships & projects

  • Capacity to feel a sense of belonging in groups & in chosen community

  • Capacity to make decisions for yourself

  • Capacity to confront challenges & fears

  • Capacity to grieve loss & change

  • Capacity to envision a future for yourself (and your relationships)

  • Capacity to tolerate complexities

  • Capacity for healthy problem-solving

  • A sense of acountability for oneself & own behaviors

  • Capacity to engage in the unknown

  • Capacity to put words to sensations

  • Self-regulation; New capacities for managing triggers, stress and self-soothing in healthy ways

  • Co-Regulation; Capacity to move towards connection & safety with a loved one

  • Capacity to speak up for yourself when necessary

  • Capacity to play and have fun

  • A newfound sense that Life is a Gift; Life is worth living