I had someone ask me in a session, “Am I being misread by other people, or am I misreading how other people read me? And if I’m constantly monitoring myself to prevent being misread, how would I even know the difference?”

It's the kind of question you may have to read twice.

 

Not everyone would phrase it this way, but many know the feeling behind the question: Can I trust my own perception, or am I getting something wrong?

 

People can get caught in cycle of self-questioning. It's particularly common for those who experienced trauma, chronic misattunement, or grew up in environments where their reality was not reliably reflected back to them. They don’t just experience uncertainty—they begin questioning the reliability of their own experience. 

 

Sometimes the inner world becomes a labyrinth.

 

Over time, the line between being misread and being wrong can blur.

Instead of concluding that the environment they were in simply couldn't metabolize their thoughts, they decide their perception can't be trusted.

 

If the confusion or self-doubt is strong enough, some pursue addiction, compulsive relationships, endless self-improvement, or become so agreeable and composed that their own needs become difficult to hear. 

 

One of the things I like about this work is watching people discover that the opposite may be closer to the truth.

That the part of themselves they once distrusted may have just been coherence, sensitivity, or wisdom trying to emerge without the proper container.

 

Insight waiting to be understood.

 

A voice waiting to be trusted.