Why Information Isn’t Enough: The Power of Being Seen, Heard, and Held

The Illusion of Safety in Information

We live in a time where information is everywhere. If you have a problem, there is an article, a YouTube video, or even AI that can give you an answer in seconds.

In the veterinary profession, where high-achievers are trained to learn through textbooks, science, and logic, information is everything. It feels powerful. It feels safe. It gives us certainty.

That is why, when people want to improve their leadership, confidence, or mindset, they often turn to more information. They attend another CPD, take another course, and read another book. They take in information, but many still feel stuck.

Because deep transformation does not happen in your head. It happens in experience. 

My Experience with the Lactation Consultant: When Information Wasn’t Enough

After my baby was born, I did what many new parents do. I researched everything. I read, I studied, and I consumed all the information I could about breastfeeding. By the time I booked a lactation consultant, I was not looking for more tips and tricks. I was looking for something deeper.

When she arrived, she gave me exactly what I did not need: more information.

"Have you tried this? Have you done that?" These were things I had already ruled out, already tried, and already exhausted.

What I needed was not another strategy. I needed to be witnessed. I needed to be seen in my struggle. I needed someone to slow down, sit with me, and acknowledge the exhaustion and the emotional weight of it all. I did not need another “fix.” I needed to be held in the reality of my experience.

(Side note: Breastfeeding is an IMMENSE personal growth journey in and of itself! OMG, nobody warned me 😂)

The consultant was exceptionally knowledgeable, but when they did not offer what I needed (and I imagine many other new mothers need too), I was left feeling more alone than before.

This moment reinforced something I have always known... real change does not come from simply giving information. It comes from creating an experience where someone feels truly seen, understood, and supported. That is what turns knowledge into transformation.

The Missing Piece: Why We Resist Experience and Seek Knowledge Instead

Information is easy. We can gather it without changing. Without discomfort.

I see it all the time. In fact, I am incredibly guilty of doing it myself!

But transformation? That is different.

Experiencing real change means stepping into the unknown, breaking down old patterns, challenging the way we think, and allowing ourselves to be uncomfortable. That is why so many people fill their heads with knowledge but never actually apply it. It feels safer to understand than to embody.

I see this all the time in veterinary leadership. There is a feeling that:

"I just need one more course, one more framework, one more CPD to finally feel like a confident leader."

However, knowledge alone does not solve the problem. It has to be lived, tested, and embodied.

Moving from Knowing to Experiencing: The Power of Deep Shifts

In my work, I invite leaders to stop collecting information and start experiencing transformation.

This is not just about teaching new strategies. It is about challenging the way they see themselves and their leadership. I ask deep (and sometimes uncomfortable) questions that chip away at the worldview they came to me with.

I do not just give them another "pair of glasses" to look through. I invite them to experience what it feels like to see things differently. I encourage them to feel the discomfort of letting go of old ways of thinking and to sit with the tension of uncertainty.

Real change often begins with a moment of discomfort. A realisation, a challenge, or a shift forces us to see things differently.

Transformation happens when you are willing to let the old break down so the new can emerge. This does not just happen in your mind, but in your body, your emotions, and your leadership.

Do You Want to Experience a Shift?

The key is not just more knowledge. It is stepping into an experience where you are truly seen, heard, and supported as you grow.

The best leaders do not shy away from discomfort. They run towards it, knowing the possibilities and opportunities available to them on the other side.