A couple of weeks ago I did something new. I did something that some people hide from others. I told myself that I was going to focus on myself this summer: that I was going to be the best physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual version of myself.
What did I do? I went to counseling. And you know what? I would 10/10 recommend that you go to counseling too.
Now here’s the thing: in Nashville it is widely accepted (and almost encouraged) that you go to counseling. There is no stigma when you tell someone you just came from counseling or your counselor told you this about yourself. I get that that may not be the case for the town you are living in. But do it for yourself. You will feel SO much better!
Did I have a horrible childhood that I’m still dealing with? Absolutely not. Was there some horrific traumatic experience that I need to talk through and overcome? No. I am a verbal processor, always have been and always will be. There is something freeing and refreshing about talking to a neutral party who doesn’t know my past, who doesn’t know my reputation or what others think about me. I can sit there for an hour and just talk. I can process through my emotions, learn why I am the way I am, and dig through issues I wasn’t aware that I had.
Is it easy getting up and driving my car to counseling? No. Is it hard to sit on that couch and cry for most of the hour? Hardly. But do I feel better when I leave her office? Absolutely.
You don’t have to go to counseling every week. Maybe you only need to go once a month. Maybe even once a quarter. But I think the world would be a better place if we get over the stigma surrounded by counseling and embraced our mental health.
