It takes a great amount of courage to come to therapy. To admit that you need help navigating your experiences, how they have affected you, to express your feelings in front of another takes great strength. We live in a society that shames us for expressing how we feel that it makes us “weak” or “too sensitive”; when in actuality it is a strength to comfortably sit in discomfort. What I mean by this is it is uncomfortable to feel the “negative” emotions such as pain, sadness, hurt, anger, frustration, etc. It is a special skill to comfortably sit in those emotions without judgment. Society has taught us that we are only given permission to feel the “positive” emotions such as happiness, joy, pride, etc. We have been conditioned that the “negative” emotions must be suppressed, we must hide them away. Otherwise, we may be looked at as “less than” for expressing them. Why do we feel the need to label our emotions? Good, bad, positive, negative. Are we judging ourselves for not always feeling “positive” or “being 100% all of the time”? Do we blame ourselves when uncomfortable feelings or emotions come up for us? Your feelings and emotions are there for a reason, these emotions are making you aware that something needs healing. And I promise you, your emotions, your feelings are always okay. I wish I could sit before you and tell you how easy it is to approach healing. If only therapy and the approach to healing was that simple. Our healing journeys are unique to the individual; we all have different experiences that have influenced who we are, how we operate in the world, how we perceive others, and so much more. Coming into therapy and processing through these experiences can help bring awareness into these questions we have. Navigating this awareness and inviting ourselves to feel all of our emotions authentically, is part of healing. Healing may not always feel “good”, sometimes healing is painful. As a consumer and producer of therapy, healing may be messy, and the journey is always beautiful. During your unique journey… Remember, be patient with yourself, be kind to yourself during this process, and do all with compassion.