Tell us about your mental health journey

I came to therapy because I felt like I wasn't worth anything as a person. I felt like no matter what, I was doomed to repeat the mistakes I'd seen in my life and the lives of others. I felt trapped into this terrible concept of who I was and what that meant for everything I wanted to accomplish. I used First Session to find my therapist, we set up an initial call and started meeting every two weeks. I realized through a few sessions that the feelings holding me back were based in a few key narratives I kept telling myself. We worked together to identify what those narratives look like, how they manifest in my day-to-day, and how I can counteract them. As a result, I feel regularly better. I'm more self-confident, happier and I treat the people in my life better as a function of having gone to therapy. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have done this.

What did you learn in therapy and how did it help you?

Even though it sounds a little cliche, I feel like most of my sessions have some kind of "aha" moment. I started therapy because my self-esteem was deeply problematic and holding me back from feeling good about myself. I've since used therapy to tackle my relationship with my family, my understanding of the person and professional I want to be and to improve my relationship with my partner. The most significant way that therapy has helped is by giving me the narratives I need to tell myself to deal with problems. I can now more effectively call out when I'm being cognitively biased, which leads to better decision-making. Better decision-making on average makes me happier, and therapy underpins that.

What is one thing you wish more people knew about therapy?

I wish that people knew how general or specific therapy can be. When I first started therapy, I thought it was all about finding and solving pre-planned problems. Instead, it's about giving me the tools I need to navigate life and think through things healthily. Therapy can really be whatever you want it to be, given that you find the right therapist to be a partner in your growth.