Therapy; it’s something that I’ve personally been in and out of since the end of September 2019/beginning of October 2019. Being in therapy has been quite the experience, and it’s something that I want to share with you all, just in case you’re thinking of going, but don’t know where to start/are too damn shy to reach out to a therapist. In addition to sharing my experience, I’ll be sharing some resources that were shared with me so that you, too, could find a therapist without going insane throughout the process.
What was learned from my first therapist
One of the most important things that I’ve learned from being in therapy would be that I’m not a trash can… despite me constantly thinking and saying so. My first therapist and I saw one another up to three times a week… boy it sure felt like I was in therapy bootcamp, that’s for damn sure. RIP to my wallet, too, since with my first therapist, I was paying out of my own pocket… and she was out of network, which means that I was spending even more than I would’ve if I had a therapist that was in network. I used to think that I was such a trash can that I even wanted to buy this specific therapist a trash can so she’d have some form of a memory of me…. unfortunately for me, she already had a trash can in her office, so having two trash cans in the office would be overdoing it.
What was learned from my second therapist
With this therapist, I learned that sometimes, it’s just not a good fit. Although our time together was very brief, I would’ve never met my third therapist had I not stumbled along therapist number two on Psychology Today.
What was learned from my third therapist
Therapist number three; I swore that we were going to be working together forever and ever, but then my heart was broken when you told me that you were leaving the practice that you were working at. They say that the third time is the charm, but with my luck, it wasn’t, and it left me sobbing in your office… on camera.
What I learned from you is that I feel things in my body, too… not just emotionally. I’ll miss it when you say “amen” when you agree with me, and “howdy” when you walked into the office and I was sitting in the waiting area waiting…. you know, for you, but we did have a swell time working with one another.
What was learned from my fourth therapist
Alas; similar to my second therapist, our time together was short, too…. lasting a mere three weekly sessions before I went to the hospital… again. With you, I learned that I see things through “sh!t colored glasses” as you’d say, and that watching The Biggest Loser and My 600-lb Life is detrimental for my overall wellbeing… but they’re very addictive shows. I might’ve really bugged you when I was in the hospital, but who else was I going to turn to? My cat that was miles away? I don’t think so.
Resources
According to my nurse practitioner that’s a million times smarter than I am, My Wellbeing and Psychology Today are great places to start when it comes to finding a therapist. I’ve personally used both sites and have found therapists that I’ve worked with from both sites, and recommend them dearly.
If you need someone to talk to, just hit me up at itslizab@gmail.com. I’ll be sure to respond, since I know that therapy can get real expensive real quick… like zero to a hundred in the matter of a second quick.