Life’s unresting sea.

In my initial blog post, I shared a few core assumptions and beliefs that guide my work as a counselor. I also want to share about the name I chose for my practice, and about the symbolism of the chambered nautilus.

I first learned about the symbolism of this sea creature when I was in college, when joining a campus organization led me to study a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes titled The Chambered Nautilus. In the poem, Holmes uses the chambered nautilus as a metaphor for the human body and soul, describing the nautilus as a creature that is ever-growing throughout it’s lifetime, no matter the circumstances around it. In studying this poem, I learned that the chambered nautilus has long been considered a symbol of lifetime growth and change, due to its expansion of the spiral shell through building new chambers throughout its entire lifetime. The chambered nautilus’ spiral shell also follows the Fibonacci sequence, the “sacred geometry” pattern that is observed throughout nature. In this, the nautilus is also thought to symbolize order amid chaos.

This symbolism resonated with me in college and remained important to me as I began my career in counseling. I remember making a promise to myself during my first year as a counselor that I would be open to learning and trying new things in order to be the most effective counselor I can be. When I decided to open my own practice, I chose the name Nautilus Counseling to reflect the importance of this symbol in my life. I have made intentional decisions throughout my career to grow and change- including learning new skills and methods, and opening my own practice so I can help others the way I feel is most effective. I assume that every person who comes into my office for counseling is capable of growing, changing, and building a life that reflects their values, no matter their stage of life of previous experiences. Additionally, I strongly believe that we are all capable of intentionally embracing what is within our control in order to navigate, as Holmes described it, “life’s unresting sea.”

Thanks for reading.