It all comes back to mindfulness

There’s a popular internet meme that my sister and I often reference which observes how numerous distinct species of crustacean have evolved into crabs, and, therefore, the “crab” must be the ideal form towards which everyone and everything is inevitably destined. This phenomena (carcinisation) is an example of convergent evolution, the process of species developing similar traits along distinct lineages.

Clearly we’re not all bound to become crabs, but I still find convergent evolution interesting to think about because it suggests that certain strategies are uniquely advantageous. Trees are a prime example of this, as “tree” represents a strategy that many plants have arrived at independently, rather than a taxonomic group (a maple is more closely related to cabbage than it is to a dogwood).

Humans being pattern recognition machines, it’s not surprising that the social internet wants to imagine there to be some singular, fundamental form that all evolutionary paths eventually lead—especially if it’s something as funny as crabs. But there is a context where I believe this thinking has merit: therapy.

The work of living and being well, of navigating the challenges we face in our lives and within ourselves, gets at the essence of what therapy is all about. There are no shortages of therapeutic modalities to address mental illness or improve wellbeing, just as there are no shortage of religious frameworks to offer a path towards spiritual fulfilment. There is no “correct” approach. It depends entirely on a.) what frameworks are available, and b.) what resonates with the individual.

But across years of counseling, numerous books on philosophy and psychology, and countless conversations, I’ve come to believe that in therapy, it all comes back to mindfulness. At the heart of all the formalized approached, and all our individual conceptions of what therapy is, is the practice of presence. While crustaceans converge on the crab, therapy converges on mindfulness.

Sources

• Carcinisation, Wikipedia
• There’s no such thing as a tree (phylogenetically), Georgia Ray