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”

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)”

I ate breakfast…

Whole wheat banana bread with peanut butter.

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…and finished my book…

Little Bee by Chris Cleave (everyone please read this!).

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…and then my friend texted me to say that there were two new male baristas working at Saint’s Cafe, so I picked up a second cup of coffee on my way to campus.

Tuesday is back to regularly-scheduled programming. I don’t hate it!

Have a great day!

Susan

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Jam of the day: Yo La Tengo “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”

1. Duffy “Syrup & Honey”
2. Dorothy Moore “Misty Blue”
3. The Temptations “Stand By Me”
4. Adele “To Make You Feel My Love”
5. Elliott Smith “Whatever (Folk Song In C)”
6. Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals “Sexual Healing”
7. Lykke Li “I’m Good, I’m Gone”
8. Jimi Hendrix “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”
9. Feist “My Moon My Man”
10. The Raconteurs “Blue Veins”
11. Tegan & Sara “I Know I Know I Know”
12. The Gaslight Anthem “Here’s Looking At You Kid”
13. Mirah & Thao “I Dare You”
14. Nina Simone “Sugar in My Bowl”
15. Lykke Li “Tonight”

Get it.

Jam of the day: Nina Simone “Sugar In My Bowl”

Yesterday my heater shut off so I invited some people over to the watch the hockey game. If this does not make sense to you, allow me to remind you that my heater usually makes crazy noises all day which scare away my friends. Yeah.

I also made banana bread! I’ve been craving it for a while now, but as you know it takes a lot to get me baking.

I used this, which I’d won in a giveaway long ago but never tried:

I was a little nervous since I was winging it on the recipe and using a sweetener, so I kept the ingredients simple: bananas, butter, eggs, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.

Post-bake:

Ta-da! (I had to turn the loaf pan around to take this picture since I had already eaten a chunk off of the end).

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It was good! I was worried about the stevia having a weird taste or giving me stomach problems (I’m a little wary of products that tout “more fiber”), but things held up nicely. My only wish is that the bread had a wee bit more banana flavor (I only had 3 ripe ones). For an improvised recipe I was quite pleased with myself. It will be great for snacks and breakfasts this week.

I was also quite pleased with the Penguins win over the Flyers, and the fact that I cleaned my shower and entire bathroom in less than 20 minutes. Cleaning is cool, but who likes to clean the bathroom?

Today I have to do work!

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What did you do on Saturday?

Jam of the day: Raphael Saadiq “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat”

Sometimes all we can offer are prayers. Sometimes all we can offer are ears. And sometimes all we can offer are words. You all know I love a good quote, so I’m offering you some words that aren’t mine.

Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.

- August Wilson

Jam of the day: Sade “By Your Side”

I told my counseling professor about this, minus the specfic details. His response: “Yeah, I thought Freud was a crock of sh!t too, and then I had the most acute case of transference happen with a woman in one of my sessions…which scared the hell out of me.”

My point is that Freud may have been onto something and he probably doesn’t deserve all of the ridicule and wisecracks about sexual theory and couches and stuff. There are more controversial psychological figures in my opinion. John B. Watson, anyone?

Jam of the day: Otis Redding & Carla Thomas “Tramp”

Happy Valentine’s Day, from Al and me.

Jam of the day: Al Green “Love and Happiness”

Sometimes I stand in the kitchen and open all the cupboards and stare at everything until something comes together. Yesterday was one of those mornings.

I spotted a baking potato that was ready to sprout. How to use it?

I grated the potato and stir-fried it in butter with celery and sauerkraut, obviously.

Hash browns! Bravo!

I was inspired to finish up the celery that has been plaguing my refrigerator, so I made a salad for breakfast dessert.

Spinach salad with celery, carrots, and honey mustard.

Not your typical Sunday morning breakfast, but hey!

Happy Monday!

Jam of the day: Sondre Lerch “Stupid Memory”

Cornbread with peanut butter.

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I really want some more for breakfast today but it takes a lot to make me bake…

I hope silly things like cornbread cravings are the least of your problems today – have a good one!

PS – What have you been eating for breakfast lately?

Jam of the day: Ben Kweller “Lollipop”