Genevieve Marcel shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Genevieve, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
These days, my day starts with learning French. As soon as I wake up, I read (struggle through) news articles in Le Monde or The Count of Monte Cristo in its original language. French is my third language and I am finding that I understand more with each day as I immerse myself in it. Next, I read a few articles in the New York Times until I eventually pry myself out of bed. It’s a sacred process that cannot be hurried. The next 20-30 minutes are spent with a mixture of yoga, pilates and meditation. Around that time, my husband is bringing my one & only cup of coffee as the rest of the day is filled with excessive amounts of tea. Eventually, I make my way downstairs to make a raw, vegan breakfast, which is usually an açaí bowl with a green juice. After that, I prepare myself for the day and either begin researching psychosexual perspectives with regard to the clients that I will see that day or I work on my doctoral proposal. By noon, I am seeing clients.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Genevieve Marcel, owner of Liaison. As an existential sex therapist, I work with clients that have reached an impasse in their lives. Clients ask questions such as “Why does sex feel like a chore?”, “Who am I – with myself vs with someone else?”, “Why do I feel alone even though I am with someone?”, “Why am I miserable/anxious?”, or “What does life even mean?”
What makes Liaison unique is that I approach these questions from an existential perspective. Sexual concerns are often treated by mental health professionals as a problem to behaviorally modify and then declare the client as “cured.” Many clients receive resolution of the initial concern and return to life. Unfortunately, it is also common that the issue eventually returns as a different shade of gray. The existential perspective considers that the sexual concern may be a symptom of a more profound origin. Through existential exploration, other potential possibilities emerge. As those possibilities emerge, insight & understanding then coupled with behavioral techniques, if needed, can lead to resolution that is longer lasting.
At Liaison, the idea of diagnostically labeling people for simply experiencing life is sacrilegious. My approach is one of genuine curiosity. I see each client as an undiscovered country that is entirely new and interesting to me. I seek to understand each individual in the context of their experience, not the experience that society imposes. As an existential therapist, I enjoy learning to understand each client, their values and, most importantly, how those values align with their lived lives.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
At this point in my life, I believe that I am living as I would have had I not taken the decades-long detour that societal expectation demands of each of us. When we are children, we feel free to say what we want and live as we choose as if in a state of blissful authenticity. We decide with certainty that we will grow up to be ballerinas and astronauts and we don’t feel obligated to dismiss our needs for the sake of others’ desires. Our priorities may have been frivolous, but they were ours to have and we were not concerned with the opinions of others. If you don’t believe me, just ask a 3 year old if they want to do something that they don’t want to do. You are likely to receive a swift and decisive ‘no’ with no regrets.
This is who we were before expectations & obligation beat us into submission. When we have lost the essence of who we are for the sake of being what we are expected to be, the cost is too great. Living in authenticity is how we all lived before we began living as the world told us to. I enjoy working with clients to assist them in living in that authenticity that may have been lost along the way.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Before I answer that, I would like to clarify that pain is inevitable, but suffering is a choice. With that said, pain and disappointment are the best teachers. Lessons of perseverance have never been learned through perpetual success. When life is experienced with ease and success at every turn, a minor setback becomes a monumental devastation. Whereas when perseverance has been cultivated through failures along the way, minor setbacks appear smaller and manageable. The problem can be viewed as an inconvenience instead of a devastation. With each failure, I have learned what to change for the next time as well as how to attempt it better and faster. An often neglected, but significant benefit of failures is that they help to decipher what is significant and what is unworthy of attention, which clears the path to retain focus. Existential therapy is the perfect medium for turning pain and disappointment into resilience and then, success. Through an existential lens, pain can be a source of meaning and create the fuel to continue. In a sense, suffering becomes the gateway to success, but you have to persevere through the pain to eventually experience the success.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
The very few people that know me well say that what matters most to me is the content of one’s character. I appreciate seeing people beyond the veil of façade.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I experience a profound and authentic connection with others or within myself. That quality is incredibly helpful when working with clients. There is something about authenticity with yourself or someone else that is calming as it cuts through the smoke and mirrors. It is incredibly difficult to connect with someone that is presenting a façade. When that mask drops and you are able to see the real person, that connection which is allowed is priceless.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.genevievemarcel.com
