Desire Paths Counseling is a solo therapy practice owned and operated by Emma Abed, LMSW in Ann Arbor, Michigan.Â
Desire paths, sometimes known as "desire lines" or "cow paths," are pathways created over time by human or animal foot traffic in the natural landscape. You may have seen them in areas where the pavement doesn't match the most efficient route from point A to point B, or when there's a secret vista off a main hiking trail.
In the same way that we can create a new physical path by repeatedly walking a new route, we can also form new neural "pathways" in our brains through the thoughts and behaviors we practice. You might not like where your thoughts lead you now, and they might feel as concrete and unchangeable as, well, concrete. But, with intention and time, you can forge new ways of thinking and feeling that become stronger and more defined as you practice. With less attention, those old pavement paths will become covered with vines and grass in the meantime. They might even disappear completely. So, where do you want to go?