A Life I Choose

I’m a psychotherapist who

lives, breathes and eats the science of joyfulness, wellness, and achievement.

I love being a therapist! But I don’t always get the best reactions when I tell people that I’m one.

At cocktail parties, most people move about 2 feet away from me when I answer the question, “What do you do?”. Often, people respond with, “So, are you analysing me right now?” before they politely excuse themselves and head for the bar.

This sucks for me! It feels like most people think my purpose in life is to violate their souls, find what’s flawed and try to change them!

But, I get why this reaction happens. You see,

there’s one vital aspect of the psychology profession that hasn’t given people much reason to like us.

Psychology developed from the Western model of medicine – the disease model. This means that, just like diagnosing cancer and choosing to annihilate it from the body, we’ve been concerned with finding what’s “flawed” in personalities and trying to “fix” them.

Are you getting why people don’t want to speak to me at parties?

Thanks to psychology and neuroscience, we have evolved to the point where we understand that emotions are our inner compasses, that the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives, and that we can re-train our nervous systems to overcome any challenge!

This profession has brought so much goodness! At the same time, the practice of labelling people with “disorders” and “dysfunctions” has created stigma around human suffering. This concept that we’re sick when we struggle is utterly ridiculous! We all struggle and we’re not bonkers when we do.

I’m not interested in labelling anyone as sick.

Whatever challenge you’re facing: anxiety, insomnia, sexual performance anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, chronic pain or unfulfilling relationships… Labelling it as a disease isn’t going to help you.

It’s through my commitment to understanding the differences between people who are strong and determined as opposed to those who allow life to swallow them, that I’ve overcome the biggest hurdles in my own life. I’ve gotten to a place where I consciously choose my life to be one I love and find great meaning in. This doesn’t mean I don’t struggle. I experience fear and self-doubt, but from years of practicing the principles of empowered living, I know how to bounce back fast.

Speaking at SHE Malta. Photo by Majda Toumi.

I’ve studied under the guidance of Lidija Pecotic, Bertram Muller, Esther Perel and Tony Robbins (amongst many others), and through my mentors I’ve learned to amplify people’s strengths, not their weaknesses. Amplifying your struggles, disempowers you.

Amplifying your strengths is how you’ll become empowered to overcome any challenge.

All the strategy sessions, workshops and talks I give are fuelled by my deep wish to belong to a world where people actively choose their lives! A person without choice is an unhappy individual.

A person who passionately and resiliently lives their purpose experiences joy and fulfilment daily.

emma hogg, a life i choose, new year evolution workshop

I look forward to meeting you at an upcoming event or by having the honour of being your personal guide. I can’t wait to learn about not only the challenges you face but also about the future you are committed to creating for yourself! I’m here to help you strategise to bring that vision into reality!