The Fearful Big T! Therapy is not a fad, or only for the rich, only for women, or for the presumed weak. Therapy can range from talking to someone with credentials to assist/ guide your thoughts safely or using objects/ activities (having a self-care day, listening and speaking positive affirmations, yoga, etc.) to give you a calm, sense of self, in hopes of bringing you back to a state of peace and tranquility. Trust me, therapy can get deeper than this but the outcome is still beautiful. Many cultures have their own ideas of what therapy is and often is misconstrued as a place for ”crazy people” that always need medication and receive a stylish straight jacket to bounce around padded walls, a perfect asylum 🙄. (We can thank the cinema for those optics.)Yes, these places do exist and are necessary for some rehabilitation, therapy is not that AT ALL.
Therapy has been in and out of my life for a while. From hearing stories about it to actually going and leaving after only four sessions, to eventually returning again because I wanted to be consistent and aggressive with my healing, with no shortcuts!. It was in fact tough and not “peachy” to view myself from every angle possible and acknowledging how my experiences molded me and my interactions with those I encountered in my life, rather in a good or bad way. Yes, I know that every one‘s journey is different, you or someone else may not be ready to face the “ugly,” or you can’t afford it, but there are ways around that and will however, comes available when the time presents itself, either within your control or not. Mine came when I had an anxiety attack in my sleep. Crazy, right?.
After that, I reached out to my job’s EAP, Employee Assistance Program, to find a therapist for free for a few sessions, and in hopes of finding a long-term therapist to be “on retainer” when things shook my world. Yes, you and I may have friends, the Bible (or whatever book that feeds you), family, Jiminy Cricket, and Rafiki to help during those times, but I wanted someone to hear and speak with an unbiased, blinded view. I needed someone to give me the clear, encouraging, balanced view that I often neglected to give myself when I got out of the things I needed to dissolve and bullets I dodged, whether it seemed that way at the time or not. I also needed to make sure I was ready for whatever arose emotionally that I needed to tackle and deal with and not let work and school suppress them.
I could go on and on about my account with therapy, but that would take away from your experience and honestly, everyone’s journey is different. I will say that after almost a year of weekly to eventual once a month pow wows, I felt stronger mentally or felt it easier to manage ish in my life, communicated more effectively with those in my circle, and created the necessary boundaries with others, no matter how long I knew them. If this post, saves you, someone else, or sends you back to ”re-up“ on a session so that you can reach your optimal peak of life, I have accomplished my job and simply, I am proud of you. Just know, you aren’t any good to anyone else, if you don’t take care of yourself FIRST!
Below, I have linked some resources concerning therapy, feel free to check out for yourself or share with a friend! (I have not been paid to provide these sites, I researched them and thought I share. Your mental health is important!)
Get 8 Free Therapy Sessions! https://blackmenheal.org
Online Therapy/Counseling https://www.betterhelp.com/
Be sure to check with your employment for therapy services! They are CONFIDENTIAL and FREE for a specific amount of sessions!
Download Youper: Self-Guided Therapy App for stress-relief on the go! https://www.youper.ai/
Therapy for Black Girls https://therapyforblackgirls.com/
Note: Per the HIPAA Privacy Rule, any information you share with your therapist is confidential unless you choose to share with someone else.
Much Love and Thank a Therapist! XOXO
FCL