have you ever sought out the help of a counselor or therapist?

i have long supported friends in their mental health journeys, but for a long time i didn’t think it was for me. i hadn’t experienced what i would term trauma, and i had the misconception that that was a prerequisite.

i was wrong.

toward the end of 2018 i began to realize that i needed someone to talk to. someone who would listen to my personal and professional travails and help me find new perspectives.

last year – with some accountability courtesy of maggie and chrystal – i finally did it. i researched people in memphis, made a few phone calls, and very luckily found someone i really like. we have talked about work, about family, about friends, about my expectations of myself and others, and about anything else that has come up.

in the last year i have learned more about how i process things and the tools i need to be successful. i have been able to look at situations from the last few years through different lenses so that hopefully i can make different decisions in the future.

the idea of therapy was this looming specter for a lot of years, and it didn’t need to be. it’s something that has been immensely helpful for me, and i wish that it was more affordable and more accessible to everyone. i am lucky that my job will reimburse me up to a certain amount spent on mental health services, because without that i wouldn’t have been able to make it happen.

it’s not weak to seek out help for your mental health; in fact, it shows strength to admit you need the help.

xx