It’s hot outside...

Hi again!

It’s been a long time. For the past several days I’ve been returning to the thought of making a blog post. With more downtime in the summer, it feels important for me to maintain some sort of connection to the outside world. Thoughts circle around in my head often, but no real substantial topic has landed that felt expansive enough to write about.

So, my plan today is to just write and give a general update on my thoughts, ranging from therapy, being a therapist, and the world around us.

I don’t think I’m alone in saying that living in the world has generally been a bit more difficult lately. I’m rattled each time I look at a receipt from the grocery store or gas station. It feels like all these high costs create a pressure that wraps around my body and makes me want to sit at home and dissociate from my bank account.

Also, does it feel like the sun is doing just a little too much this summer? It’s hot in a way that makes me dread walking the short distance to my mailbox.

I’ve found myself the most grounded when I am sitting across from my clients. There is something beautiful in the vulnerability of talking about deeper topics. Things we don’t confess out in our daily lives, but we keep for private rooms. Therapy room or not, these are my favorite types of conversations. They seem to make me feel more connected to humanity.

Ask any therapist what the most rewarding part of their job is and I’m positive it would be some variant of:

1)      Getting to see people make changes in their lives that they did not think possible

2)      Being trusted with their deepest, darkest moments

I fit this cliché 100 percent. It’s what motivates me when I’m questioning my own life decisions. I say this for the slim possibility that someone stumbles upon this wondering if their presence as a therapy client adds anything to the therapeutic relationship. It does. You matter to your therapist. Therapeutic relationships are the weirdest and most wonderful relationship dynamics (IMO), filled with ethical codes and a lot of care.

I see these economic struggles happening in my life and can only assume that you are in someway impacted as well. It scares me because I think the public is having to weigh against paying for their groceries or attending therapy. I’ll be honest, that’s what I’ve had to do. Therapy has larger gaps for me now because me and my family need to eat and pay bills. I just hope we all can ride this wave out to (fingers crossed) a reprieve where we can invest more in our mental health.

In the meantime, some mental health tidbits that can hopefully get you through this while also not breaking the bank:

1)      Drink. Water. – Once again, it’s just too hot outside. Dehydration causes brain fog, migraines, etc. No one has time for that (or another medical bill!).

2)      Text/group text/call/message/meet up/whatever – Just stay connected to your people. It does not have to be a big commitment. Just a “hey – just checking in.” Stay consistent with it.

3)      Embrace down time – This one is difficult for me. I feel a constant need to be “doing” something or achieving some goal. You can take a 20-minute nap, and the world will continue to go on.

4)      Express how you’re really doing in some way. I would love if this meant me and my friends could sit around having existential conversations like we did in college. However, that just isn’t doable in my current life situation and for a lot of my friends. If it is in yours, I’m jealous and please go out and do this! You can also express yourself in a journal of some type or through any other artistic expression.

I hope everyone is hanging in there! Reach out if you need anything.