We all fear suffering. Clients come to us because they want to stop suffering, and we don't want to suffer, either. Yet, not only is suffering an unavoidable part of every life, it can deepen our understanding of ourselves, our compassion for others, and our sense of purpose. In this workshop, we'll discuss the meaning of suffering and how we can validate our clients' experience of it without encouraging them to become trapped in a state of perpetual victimhood or getting bogged down in it ourselves. We'll talk about ways of helping clients learn to respect and accept suffering so they can transform it into a source of courage, healing, and wisdom. We'll also explore how we can help both clients and ourselves get beyond our instinctive need to deny suffering and develop a relationship with it that can yield life-affirming lessons. (This session will continue with Workshop 519.)