Turnips!

First of all, thank you to everyone who has commented, emailed, and messaged me about my last two posts. I really appreciate your feedback. It is wonderful to have my writing received in a positive way, but what I enjoy even more is hearing your own personal experiences, whether they are similar or different to mine. Thank you again for opening up your lives to me; it made the process of opening up to you all a lot less intimidating.

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Yesterday I tried a new food: turnips!

I’m a little disappointed I haven’t tried these sooner. They stare me down at the farmer’s market and a lot of people seem to like them. I really have no excuse!

I bought a turnip family:

Papa, mama, and baby turnip.

 

I tried a little bite raw because I was curious – blech! Don’t do this.

I went the “fry” route: sliced and roasted at 475° for 25 minutes, flipping once, and broiled for another 5. I went basic on the seasonings (grapeseed oil, salt, and pepper) because I wasn’t sure what the baked turnip’s flavor would be like.

Turnip fries with baked tofu and ketchup.

 

Delicious! Sweet like a carrot, a tad bitter, almost gingery spice. The salt and pepper were the perfect compliments. I adore.

Have you cooked with turnips before? Any suggestions?

Happy Saturday!

Jam of the day: Booker T. & the MG’s “Time is Tight”

Therapy discussion, part 2.

One of my goals in writing about therapy was to bring a personal perspective to the issue of mental health. As much as most of us would like to believe it is not the case, there is a lot of stigma attached to the therapeutic process and mental health issues in general. I don’t think this is a generational thing; I’ve encountered people of all ages who have expressed views on therapy that seem so far away from my own experience. I think one of the best ways to bring awareness is through sharing stories and thoughts.

Here are some of my general thoughts on therapy and the misconceptions associated with it. Please keep in mind that these are just my opinions based on my personal experience – it is okay to disagree!

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1. Therapy is work.

Here is something my counseling professor told our class a few weeks ago: “If I ever feel like I’m doing more work than my client, I know there is something wrong.” In my opinion, therapy is a treatment that the recipient has to actively be involved in for it to work. Some therapists even give out “homework” to their clients. I feel as though my sessions with my therapist are a time to gain insight, but I do a lot of my therapeutic work outside our meetings. And it’s tough! Working on thoughts and changing behaviors can be time-consuming and draining for those in therapy.

2. If at first you don’t succeed…try another therapist.

The person I currently see is not the first therapist I went to. The first doctor I saw was nice and I loved her “vibe”, but after a few sessions I didn’t feel like I was making progress. Just like there are different types of people in this world, there are different types of therapists. It is important to find one that makes you feel comfortable, but also allows you to engage in the work you are there to do. Everyone has different personalities and goals when they go to therapy, and the right therapist should be able to accommodate both of those aspects. For example, my therapist is gentle and sympathetic, but she is also trained in Cognitive-Behavioral therapy and not afraid to challenge my negative thoughts.

3. Everyone has different reasons for going to therapy.

Just because you go to therapy doesn’t mean you have “mental problems”, or even a diagnosable disorder. Or who knows, maybe you do! It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Some people go to therapy with the intention of resolving a specific problem or issue, some people go to deal with a crisis like death or divorce, and some people simply go for insight. It doesn’t matter why you go, it’s more important to know why you are there and what you hope to gain.

4. Going to therapy doesn’t make you weak.

I think the people who choose to engage in therapy when they need it are some of the strongest individuals out there. The courage to open up to a stranger, take accountability with yourself, and try to change are some of the hardest things a person can do in this life. I think there is a conception that going to therapy is admitting that you can’t do it on your own, which can be hard for independent people. I would argue that even though you are admitting you need help by going to therapy, you are still ultimately in charge of doing the work (back to my first point!).

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I think I’ve said what I’ve wanted to say. Thanks for reading; I really appreciate it.

As always, I love to hear your thoughts, whether you agree or not!

Jam of the day: Simon & Garfunkel “Anji”

Therapy discussion, part 1.

I’m really excited for today’s post! I’ve been working on it for a few days because I wanted the words to come across in a certain way. I hope that it accurately conveys my message.

This is an issue I have wanted to address on my blog for quite a while. Other bloggers have addressed it with eloquence, but I’ve shied away from the topic until now. I don’t often get too personal, but this is something I’d like to open up for discussion. It is a subject close to my heart, both because of its relevance to my personal life and because it is the area where I see my future career. I’m talking about therapy.

First, I’d like to share my experience with therapy, then I’m going to discuss my views on the subject as whole. This is actually going to be divided into two posts – here goes!

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I started my current journey with therapy two summers ago, when my chronic pain was at an all-time high. I was depressed, confused, and frustrated with what had been going on with my body, and I felt like the Western medical model had failed me. I didn’t know what to do. My mom was the one who encouraged me. She saw that I was not feeling like myself and she expressed to me that therapy had been helpful to her when she had similar feelings.

At that point I was studying psychology, but my interest hadn’t honed in on counseling quite yet. I was unsure of what to expect and if I could even benefit from therapy. However, I kept an open mind and proved myself wrong.

I’ve been in therapy now for a year and half, and it has been such a gift to me. I feel like therapy is an opportunity to work on myself in a way I don’t think I could do on my own. I’ve learned and practiced tools to help me deal with anxiety, pain management, and specific situations that I didn’t know how to navigate. Therapy hasn’t fixed my chronic pain, but it completely saved me from the negative mindset I was trapped in. And although I have struggled my whole life with anxiety, therapy has given me new tools to deal with it. It has also deepened my introspection and pushed me to never settle with myself.

I wouldn’t say therapy has “fixed” me. I still make a lot of mistakes and I still have my struggles. Therapy has just just made me more aware and more accountable for myself. It is hard work, but it is such a gift. In addition, therapy has further fueled my passion for psychology. It’s helped me hone in on counseling as an area of the field where I really think I can help others and contribute valuable work.

I know I am fortunate to be able to seek therapy. Right now I see my therapist about twice a month, but the frequency of my visits has always fluctuated based on my needs. I can see therapy being a part of my life for the indefinite future, whether I go weeks between appointments, or even years. To me, therapy is kind of like class – and one wish I have for myself is to never stop learning.

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Thanks for reading guys! Tomorrow I’m going to talk about some of my general views on therapy and some of the misconceptions associated with its practice. Now I turn the tables to you…

What is your experience with therapy? (Feel free to email me if you have any additional questions or comments!)

Jam of the day: Sia “I’m in Here (Piano/Vocal Version)”