Why The Butterfly

Over the summer holidays we got a butterfly kit. My child had really enjoyed learning about life cycles at school, so I figured it was a good way to keep that enthusiasm going during the break. Plus, anything that is low effort but high entertainment is a parenting win!

My child really enjoyed watching the life cycle unfold, but I wasn't expecting it to prompt quite so much reflection and fascination in myself. I probably shouldn't have been surprised though my logo is a butterfly for crying out loud!

I chose a butterfly for a logo because I love the symbolism of the transformational process and how this can be reflected in counselling. Transformation doesn't necessarily mean becoming a completely different person. Sometimes it can be about reconnecting with parts of ourselves that have become lost, developing a deeper awareness of who we are, or finding new ways of understanding and caring for ourselves.

It's also why my butterfly logo has both brighter and darker colours. Like so many things in nature, butterflies come in all sorts of colours and patterns, and for me the contrast represents the light and shade of life. We all experience highs and lows, joy and sadness, certainty and uncertainty. The darker and lighter parts aren't separate from who we are, it’s actually part of being human.

The butterflies also reminded me of one of the quotes I love and often identify with: “Be patient with yourself, nothing in nature blooms all year.”

Just like the butterflies, they only emerge at certain times of the year, and we had to be patient. There was no rushing the process. For me, it's a reminder that we can always look to nature for inspiration, particularly when we're feeling stuck.

It also reminds me that beautiful things take time to nurture and grow, and that caring for them doesn't stop once they bloom. We might admire a flower when it's in full bloom, but if we want to see it bloom again next spring, we need to take care of it during the autumn and winter too.

In many ways, people are no different. We have seasons where we feel like we're thriving, and others where we might need more rest, care and nurturing. These can be themes we explore in counselling: how we can reconnect with ourselves, understand what we need, and find ways of taking care of ourselves through the different seasons of our lives.Whatever season someone is facing, I hope counselling can provide a space to explore what works for them.

And then there was the part of watching those caterpillars that really struck me:

They just did it.

That sounds obvious, but in today's world, how often do we see things simply change without external influence or reassurance? Without careful planning? Without questioning whether we're doing it right or wondering what other people might think?

Each caterpillar built its own chrysalis and emerged in its own time.

I think there is something quite powerful in that.

When people come to counselling, I don't see them as broken or as something that needs fixing. They may simply want to understand themselves differently, reconnect with something within themselves, or explore what might be possible for them.

Sometimes that can mean going within ourselves, (a little like entering a chrysalis) and looking at our upbringing, relationships, experiences, thoughts and behaviours, and how these might have shaped us. There isn't a single version of what someone is supposed to emerge as. The transformation belongs to them and in time it can just happen.

Perhaps that's what I love most about the butterfly. It isn't about becoming something completely different. It's about allowing space for what is already there to develop, change and emerge in its own time.

That's the thinking behind the butterfly in the Cahya logo and, in many ways, behind the work I hope to do through Cahya Counselling and Mindful Services.

📖 Honouring your story.

🌱 Nurturing transformation.

✨ Helping you rediscover your light.

Terms of service

Norton, Stockton-On-Tees