What Does It Mean to Be Seen?
We live in a world where being visible feels like a form of currency. Social media praises our best moments. Workplaces value our output. Even in our families, we are often celebrated for how we appear rather than who we truly are.
But being seen is not the same as being looked at.
To be seen is to be recognized in your fullness, in your mess and your magic, your strength and your softness, your becoming and your unraveling.
In psychiatry, we often take histories. We ask about symptoms, stressors, and how someone is functioning. But how often do we pause and ask:
When was the last time you felt truly seen?
I have sat in with many people who have never had anyone reflect back their inner world, not their joy, not their pain, not even their simple existence. They have worn masks for so long that they have almost forgotten the face beneath them.
This is where the work begins.
At Mindful Exposure (ritualized visual psychiatry practice of my future), we begin each journey not with a prescription but with a question:
When you look at yourself today, what do you see?
And then we take a photograph.
Not the polished selfies or perfectly posed portraits you might be used to, and I myself have been known to create. But an image captured gently and honestly, as you are in this very moment.
No masks. No performance. Just you.
It is powerful to see yourself this way. At first, there is discomfort. Avoidance. Maybe even tears. But over time, something softens. Curiosity grows. And sometimes, love begins to surface.
Healing does not happen because the photograph is flawless. It happens because for once you are willing to meet yourself right where you are.
This is what it means to be seen:
To stand in your own presence without turning away.
To let someone hold up a mirror, not to judge you, but to honor you.
To realize your soul was never invisible, even when the world overlooked it.
So I’ll ask you, gently:
When was the last time you allowed yourself to be seen, not just by others, but by you?
