Why My Word of the Year is Attunement
Gwyneth Hodgins, MSW RSW
Psychotherapy / Social Work
Why My Word of the Year is Attunement
For the past 6 years, I’ve taken time in January to reflect on the year that’s passed – my highs and lows, what I learned, and what I want to take with me. Then I look forward to the year ahead, considering my intentions for my work, my personal relationships, and my self growth. From there, I notice what themes stand out and whether there’s a single word that captures the feeling I’m wanting to create.
This year, my word is Attunement.
Attunement, to me, is turning toward myself when times are hard. Trusting that if there is painful or uncomfortable emotion, it’s there for a reason, it’s communicating something important, and there may be an opportunity to meet a need.
The first signal is often subtle – a restlessness or inability to focus, an impulse to take a deeper breath, or a slight tensing in my chest.
I have a choice here.
I can push through, muscle my attention back to the task at hand, or try to escape the feeling through mindless scrolling.
Or, I can pause.
Notice the sensation. Take a slow breath. Ask myself if there’s an emotion here.
And if there is, give myself permission to feel that emotion. Not analyze or interpret it, not try to rush it through. But just be with it. Maybe I place a hand on my heart. Or hunch forward into a collapse. If tears come, I let them.
I’m tuning in to my authentic experience. Sometimes, this allows for a need to emerge.
If I’m feeling lonely or unsupported, I may reach out to a loved one to ask for connection.
If I’m feeling angry or hurt, there may be an opportunity to tell someone about the impact of their actions, and seek repair.
If I’m feeling helpless, maybe I need to take action, such as by emailing my Member of Parliament about an issue of importance to me.
When I attune to myself, I’m better able to attune to others – with my clients and in my personal relationships. When I attune to myself, I am practiced at noticing small shifts in my own body that hint at something happening in the body in front of me. I can listen with intention to what my mirror neurons are picking up and infer what the other person may be feeling or needing.
And if I can do this with one person, I can do it with all of humanity. I can allow the empathy and anger to rise when I see injustice, and I can care about people both near and far from home. And then I can do something with that emotion – which is what emotion is meant to do. E-motion. It moves us.
And, for me at least, it all starts with attunement to my own inner experience.
So in 2026, you might see me slowing down.
Pausing.
Turning inward. But that’s not the whole picture.
When I turn inward, my capacity grows to turn outward, too.
Gwyneth Hodgins, MSW RSW
Over my 7 years of experience, I’ve worked with individuals across the lifespan, from young children to senior adults. Currently, I specialize in working individually with teens and young adults, though I also work with individual adults, parents, and families as needed. My approach is a mix of several therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused (Family) Therapy (EFT; EFFT), Mindfulness-Based, Attachment-Based, and Trauma-Informed therapy. I also strive to provide an anti-racist, anti-oppressive practice. I believe that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are, in large part, a product of our experiences. Feel free to book a 15-min phone consult to learn more about my services and how I can help you.