Dear Unfulfilled Student:

I want to compliment you for having the courage to share what is obviously a deeply personal concern. Your struggle with shyness is not too minute to warrant counseling! In fact, your sense of frustration and pain over hiding your true self, and your desire to live a more fulfilling life, is exactly what counseling is designed to help. The fact that you are at the point of literally making yourself "sick" over this indicates to me that you are perhaps more ready than you ever have been to face your fears more directly and to begin the process of change. It's as if your body is even saying, "Enough, already, its time to live life on my own terms, to be who I really am out in the world!" It is extremely important to listen to this inner, bodily "felt sense" and to act on what it is trying to tell you. By writing in as you have to this forum, you have taken a significant first step. Now it is important to continue moving forward, even though you are likely feeling anxious about doing so.

Meeting with a counselor to begin exploring your concerns can be that all-important next step. As you think about the potential value of counseling for yourself, it is important to realize that shyness is not "all bad." There are aspects to being shy that are very human and may reflect important qualities that are central to your personal sense of who you are as a person. At the same time, as you so clearly point out, some aspects of shyness can be seriously limiting and self-defeating. In counseling, you will have the time and space to sort through the complexity of your shyness and decide which aspects are important to you as well as what you would like to change. Your counselor will help you with this process.

To contact our office, just call (753-1206) or come by (Room 200 Campus Life Building) and arrange an initial appointment with one of our counselors.

Finally, I want you to know that, just by raising the issue of shyness and sharing your personal struggle, you are helping other students with this concern not feel so alone and also realize that there is hope for them as well.

Thanks again for contacting us. We look forward to assisting you in your efforts to stop hiding what you really want to be. Take care.

Sincerely,

BarbWired