I mentioned in my post about living in San Francisco that this period was SO significant in my life.
There were great nanny jobs, crazy jobs, great friends, not so great boyfriends, and…there was my therapist!
At some point during some depression, my aunt (a high school guidance counselor) suggested that maybe I should try some sort of therapy. Hmmmm….I had never REALLY thought about doing this before. I think I had a belief that therapy was for the weak…and was that me?
I did think that I needed some help and I thought all of my problems had to do with my weight.
Right!
First BIG ah ha in therapy – your issue is most likely NOT what you think your issue is!
Don’t get me wrong…she didn’t uncover any great family secrets or things that were lurking in the shadows of my mind. BUT she did help me…tremendously in fact! I believe that I actually saw her for the good part of 3 years or so.
Therapy helped me to:
- Love myself even at my less than perfect weight
- Find my way back to God and seek forgiveness for past mistakes I had made (I needed this!)
- Figure out a future path for myself (at that time it included travel to Spain to take a course)
- Navigate my relationships at that time, communicating my feeling more clearly
- Survive a devastating break-up WITHOUT stuffing (eating) my feelings – I actually cried through this one! 😉
- Recognize the benefit of a professional such as this during specific and needed periods of our lives
Yes, therapy was a big deal for me! Leaving my therapist was a bit like a break-up. LOL Of course I was healthy and ready and able to move on from it.
