Do you ever feel like you’re in a costume, playing a part and not feeling you can be fully yourself in certain situations? Whether it’s Halloween time or everyday life, masks are something we put on to hide our true selves and can prevent us from living our most joyous and congruent life. Here, we’ll explore how to the bring the mask off and reclaim the authentic self.

What is a Mask?

Masks are a false presentation of self that keeps us away from our authentic self. They can be formed when we feel our true self will not receive acceptance or love. This is especially true when we have experienced shame, judgement, and criticism.

Instead of risking deeper connection with others, we put on an artificial mask and shy away from our true feelings. It can be a self-defense mechanism, but it results in a disconnection from our true selves.

The Paradox of Being Masked

The paradox is that while we may think the mask makes us more acceptable and lovable, it actually prevents us from finding our true connection with others. We become afraid of bringing out our deepest truths and of meeting someone in our most authentic state. The cost of this is that we may never truly experience the joy of congruent living with others and with ourselves.

Healing Our Wounded Places

The good news is that our authentic self is waiting to be reconnected with. The journey of healing our wounded places and reclaiming our authentic self is empowering and freeing.

Working with a therapist can help us to bring light to the parts of ourselves we have been denying. Our therapist will walk with us as we develop strategies to face our fears and come into presence as the unique, lovable being that each of us inherently is.

Holistic Therapy for Finding Your Authentic Self

Holistic therapy can be incredibly helpful in the process of finding and healing our authentic self. Existential therapy, which focuses on our sense of meaning and purpose in life, can foster a greater understanding of why we put on masks and how we can discover our true selves by embracing our vulnerability.

Internal Family Systems therapy centers on the idea that each of us is composed of different parts and can help to uncover the layers of ourselves and the stories that we may have constructed around our masks.

Psychodynamic therapy is great for understanding how our sense of self is formed and to gain insight into how to move forward in the process of reclaiming our authentic self. All of these therapeutic modalities can provide a safe and nurturing environment to explore, heal, and uncover our true selves.

Choose to Live Authentically

We can consider our relationship with masks to live an artificial life or a life that is deeply connected. If our desire is to live a life of joy and connection, the choice we make is to step out from behind the mask. Let’s commit to deepening the understanding of ourselves and let the healing begin.

Embrace Yourself & Step Into Joy

Next Mardi Gras or Halloween season, we may have lots of fun while pretending, but let’s also have the courage to face our fears and come back into our authentic selves.

It’s in this space of authenticity where we can find connection with others and experience the joy of congruent living. Embrace yourself and have the courage to shed the mask!

Conclusion: Unmasking Our Authentic Self

Masks are a false presentation of self that disconnects us from our authentic self, preventing us from living a congruent life. We can choose to reclaim our authentic selves by healing our wounded places and welcoming the risk of authentic interaction. By doing so, we will experience true joy and connection with others and ourselves. Let us move forward into facing our fears and reclaiming our authentic selves.