Your Way Is the Way: Trusting Your Inner Path

By: Dr. Denise Renye

In a world full of systems, methods, and expert advice, it’s easy to forget that the deepest guidance doesn’t come from outside – it arises within. As a Marin County depth psychotherapist, I expound what Carl Jung wrote in The Red Book:

“There is only one way and that is your way. There is only one salvation and that is your salvation. Why are you looking for help?

Do you believe help will come from outside? What is to come will be created in you and from you. Hence look into yourself. Do not compare, do not measure.

No other way is like yours. All other ways deceive and tempt you. You must fulfill the way that is in you.”

Jung invites us to stop reaching outward for the “right” answers, even if we have compelling reasons to do so. Someone with a certain degree, in a position of authority, or who speaks with confidence are all tempting people to trust and seek out for guidance. They must know better! They must know what is best for you! They do not.

I’m not saying doctors, lawyers, or people in positions of authority are useless. It’s helpful to consult a professional, but don’t let their advice supersede your inner voice. In the healing journey, we must all listen to the inner voice. The path we are meant to walk is already alive in us, waiting to be trusted and followed. But that’s easier said than done.

If you grew up being gaslit, or in other words, were constantly told to doubt your reality, it can be hard to trust yourself. The same applies if you were/are in an abusive relationship. When everyone else’s reality is “more real” than your own, trusting yourself can feel incredibly challenging. Relearning to trust yourself often requires support, not to show you the way, but to help you remember it.

This is where therapy or depth-oriented coaching can be transformative. When done by well-trained practitioners, these relational practices don’t impose direction; they offer a container where your own inner voice can rise and be heard. Instead of saying, “You should do this,” or “I think you should do that,” depth-oriented practices hold space while you reconnect with your intuition, discern your longings, and metabolize past experiences so you can move forward with clarity.

Therapy and coaching are by no means the only mechanisms to support a return to your inner knowing. Breathwork, somatic meditation, or being in a spiritual community (sangha) can also be vital companions on the journey. What matters most is not what you choose, but whether the approach meets you where you are and encourages you to turn inward. There is no single formula for uncovering your inner path and inner knowing. Your body knows. Your psyche knows. Your path is yours alone.

These minds of ours want certainty and guarantees. We want ChatGPT to tell us the best possible solution. We want to Google the thing we don’t know. But what if you already know more than you think? What if your work isn’t to find the way, but to clear what’s in the way of trusting it? Again, that may be a process. There are no quick fixes to healing, and remember, too, that healing is not linear. You may take two steps forward, then 10 steps back, followed by 20 steps forward. This is not a sign of failure – it’s a sign of trying and being alive.

You are learning something new, but you are the way. Not a therapist, not a mentor, not a parent, not a lover, not a friend. You. The answers live inside of you. Other people can support you, they can give you tools to use, but the bottom line is you are the way. Let yourself become the guide you’ve been waiting for. And if you want support with that, I’m here. Schedule an appointment with me today.