I never thought that taking an hour out of one day, out of the seven in my week to talk to you, would make such an impact on my life. Therapy was something I always heard of but never actually pictured myself doing. Growing up I always kept to myself, so opening up to a stranger was something that I found very difficult at first. But now, our hour a week is one I always look forward to. Our relationship is a difficult one, it's sort of a forbidden "you're the only person I talk to once a week, so you're kind of my best friend" type of thing. I can't really text you when I find a good meme, or the second I see a tweet that leaves me in shock, but I'll always save it for our session.
I remember scrolling through websites, looking at thumbprints of photographs of different therapists in my area, and for some reason when I came across you, I felt safe. It sounds silly to write down and read it aloud, feeling safe when reading about someone, but when you're searching for the right counselor, therapist, or psychiatrist, feeling safe is important.
Thank you for making me feel safe.
I've known you for a little over a year now and you have seen ever single part of me. Anything I was too afraid to face, you helped me through. You reassure me that my feelings matter, that boundaries are meant to be set, and being selfish is okay. If it wasn't for you, I would have never had the courage to walk away from things that weren't meant to be in my life. You taught me that I was more than anything I ever thought I was, you made me believe in myself.
There used to be nights where my mental illness made me feel alone, even though I wasn't, and all I could do was think about the things we worked on in sessions.
"Remember to stay present.
Breathe in...1..2..3...breathe out...1..2..3.
Write about it.
Go for a walk."
Thank you for this, you taught me coping skills that I will keep with me for as long as I can.
You were never too easy on me either. That's how I knew this was going to work out. To this day, you call me out when I try to get away with doing something we've talked about and worked through in the past. I'll never do anything if I know I wouldn't tell you about it.
Thank you for that, thank you for never letting me get away with anything.
Thank you for helping me work through my toughest battles, for helping me accept my past and learn from it, for supporting me. Thank you for everything you've helped me accomplish up until this point, I can't wait to see what we'll accomplish in the future.
