I didn’t even know therapy was an option for me

Tell us about your mental health journey

Growing up in an immigrant family, I had to hustle, work hard and power through every day. Some of these became valued qualities that became a part of my identity. I prided myself on having a solid work ethic and not being handed anything in life, but it left no room for me to freely enjoy my life. I didn’t realize the scar tissue and bruises left behind from those days until I started digging.

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

I didn’t even know therapy was an option for me, and I wish that was something I could have tapped into as a resource earlier in life. Speaking with a therapist, they asked me questions about my life that I had pushed to the back of my mind for so long and brought up some uncomfortable feelings. But ultimately, they helped trace back the cause of some of the behaviours and patterns that are not serving me today.

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

I wish more people would just give it a try more than anything.