The room is bare, a few distasteful paintings framed on either wall. Two chairs placed six feet apart, a coffee table with a box of tissues, the room is cold. She sits there, notebook in lap. "So what brings you here today?".
I have been in and out of therapy for as long as I can remember. I won't lie to you. it's not always been great. It takes two to tango, as they say. Therapy is relationship building. it's trusting another individual with your deepest and darkest secrets. So no, the likelihood of you reading this, meeting for an appointment, and loving every moment is unlikely. From my experience, it takes time to find that one individual with whom you can fully let yourself go in the presence of. It also takes time, sometimes months, until you are able to fully submerge yourself.
Without therapy, I don't know where I would be, I'm really not sure if I would even be here today. I've hit rock bottom a few times in my life, the last around a year and a half ago. Looking back, these were times when I wasn't receiving help. There's a pattern. Therapy has changed my life. It has also changed the lives of many of my friends.
However, a year and a half on, and i still have therapy. Why? Because you don't have to be at bottom to recieve it. Being human is stressful! Daily life is stressful!
Have you ever sat with a friend and just exploded a rant that could see you through to 2028. The thing is, as much as I am a full advocate for being open and honest with the people around you, you can't pour from an empty cup, and in many cases, that friend may have there own things going on. It's also much easier to be open with someone who has no attachment to you. Your darkest desire, your deepest regret. Things you've never told a soul. Tell someone! Trust me, the weight off the shoulders is unbelievable. And the therapist just sits there and listens! They've heard it all before, trust me.
So what happens? Well, whatever you want! Chat about your day at work, talk about your relationships.. honestly, it's your time. People have an assumption that you have to have had some serious trauma to be welcomed into therapy, but this just isn't true. It's an hour of your time to rant, to release, and if you want, to get advice.
I've learnt so much through therapy, how to cope with stressful life events, how to manage day to day tasks, how to stop myself having a panic attack, how to have a better relationship with myself and others, the list is endless.
Just by googling "therapy/counselling in my area," you should have access to a list of both nhs and private places available to you and how to refer. If you're over 18, you don't have to go through the gp. It's as simple as filling out a short form or giving them a call. I recommend a form of therapy to everyone and anyone I meet. So make that call today 😊