“How does one become a butterfly?” She asked pensively. “You must want to fly so much you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.”
From Hope for the Flowers by Trina Paulus
The butterfly is an ancient universal symbol for transformation and healing. Butterflies embrace the hearts of those who seek an understanding of personal growth and change. There are four stages to the butterfly’s transformation: the Egg, the Caterpillar, the Chrysalis, and the emerging Butterfly. These four stages parallel our own personal transformative processes and growth. The first stage, the Egg, represents new beginnings. During this stage, we connect with our passion from which the mating of ideas is born. It is essential during this stage to have a safe and supportive environment to lay the eggs of our ideas and allow them to incubate.
The second stage, the Caterpillar, represents preparation for change. Like the caterpillar, we know that it is now time that we shed our skin several times in preparation for our next stage of development. In the third stage, the Chrysalis stage, the caterpillar is now ready to release the seeds of change. It is a time to break down our limiting belief systems about ourselves and to experience the magic of our own transformation into the beautiful human potential we came here to live. In the fourth stage, the emerging Butterfly stage, we experience an awakening to life. As a result, we are now willing to take risks, flex our newly acquired wings, and begin to live passionately in this world.
Like the butterfly, the human being crawls, withdraws, breaks down, and reforms to break through to soar into life. The vision for Granite City Counseling has gone through this very process of transformation. Our sincere wish is that Granite City Counseling continues to be a place of transformation and healing of mind, body, and spirit to all who enter.
Our Mission
One of the core beliefs defining our work is that every human being has the potential to fly. Thus, it is the mission of Granite City Counseling to support travelers through life in their search of transformation and healing. Whether dealing with life stressors, behavioral health issues, relationships, or crises, we are committed to helping our clients to the best of our abilities in their efforts to regain personal balance, health, and wellbeing. In striving to heal mind, body, and spirit, it is our sincere goal to see each one of our clients shed pain and scars like an old skin – and fly on their own.