i love therapy (so far)

since getting my own health insurance (and what seems to be good insurance at that), I’ve been really exploring therapy. I started seeing someone for myself in Sept and my partner and I have been seeing a couples therapist since late December 2015.

it boggles the mind that therapy isn’t something everyone has as a part of their regular health programs. we see dentists and physicians and all sorts of other physical doctors. and then  we scorn those who have the (in)saneness to see a specialist for arguably our most important organ.

it’s bizarre, really. but then again, america is a pretty bizarre place.

for me, most of the value of a therapist comes from having an external perspective on my life situations. no matter how skilled you are, you can’t fight a fire from inside your house. ok well, you can but it’s easier from the outside. talk therapy is amazing to me because I get to experience the deep listening I was trained to do as a mentor (thanks, rashad and the Tallahassee youth group crew).

and on top of that, it feels invaluable to have a trained specialist listening to my stories evolve over time. and his experience over time in recommending and teaching specific skills, strategies, and tools and then observing and learning from those cases… the value just feels endless.

and the american in me says “well it’s just too expensive to give everyone in the county therapy.” and then I look at that sentence and think “and that’s why america is crazy.”