Who is behind the mask?
If you didn’t know Doughnut was Michael Owen then you missed loads of obvious clues this weekend. If you are usure what I mean by Doughnut, you either watch the other side, or you have missed the television phenomenon that is ‘The Masked Singer’.
Assuming that you don’t know, let me explain. Take a dozen or so celebrities, encourage them to sing in front of a voting audience and a panel of guest judges – and boom, primetime Saturday night television. The twist being the celebrities are dressed in larger-than-life, multi-coloured costumes with massive masks covering their whole head; no one knows who is who. The aim of the game is to guess the celebrity singer by identifying their voice or piecing together spurious clues which are presented before each musical performance. Nothing, on TV, has been that crazy since you had the opportunity of winning a speedboat for scoring 101 or more with six darts…
How – you might ask – does this connect with a counselling service? Where is the link between ‘The Masked Singer’ and anyone who may be considering private therapy? The answer is authenticity. There are many reasons why someone would consider counselling. Bereavement, stress and anxiety, relationship issues, depression and over coming life challenges are all common reasons for one-to-one intervention. What ever the reason, authenticity will always be part of the conversation.
For anyone who makes it through the door will know, the feeling of relief and satisfaction following the first session is well deserved. Taking this a stage further, understanding ourselves in a deeper way and finding our true self (under the mask that everyone else sees) can be an amazing feeling.
There are plenty of reasons why people put a mask on or play a different version of ourselves – and it’s not all bad as there must be several different versions of you. Can you imagine talking to your grandmother in the same fashion as talking to your friends in the pub on a Friday night, or talking to a work colleague in the voice you use to encourage your toddler to eat their tea? Let’s be clear; when discussing different versions of you, we are not suggesting multiple personalities, or any linked disorders, just unique facets of your personality to fit in with the people and environment around you.
When you are not being true to yourself it can become a problem. What happens if the mask you wear at home doesn’t reflect how you truly feel, or what happens if you try to be someone you are not? Young people particularly have to struggle with a mask – after all, they are still learning to understand their own personality and how they interact with others is still fragile part of their character.
A change in circumstance can be the catalyst for self-exploration and this often comes when it is least expected or wanted. Splitting up from a partner provides an obvious example at how breaking down the different versions of you can be a good step forward. You may have had a set of beliefs which are no longer applicable, your path ahead may have opened, or you simply want to reinvent yourself; what ever the reason, exploring your authentic view can only be a positive thing.
You can learn a lot from ‘The Masked Singer’. You know by now how frustrating it is trying to guess ‘who is behind the mask’, it can also be a bit of a let down when you find out the person you had hoped for isn’t who they said they are. So don’t let the mask cloud your vision… be the person you want to be.
If you would like to explore your authentic you with either Duncan or Louise, contact us through the website.
