I have recently starting talking to my psychologist regularly after taking almost an entire year away from her. I am not afraid to talk about it. She has walked my life path with me for four years. She has seen me at my emotional extremes. She has driven my growth. She has made me optimistic. For all of these things, and many more, I am eternally grateful. This isn’t going to be an article about why you should see a therapist, but rather a reflection on how my sometimes-weekly meetings have helped me become the woman I am.

How does it come to be that some people fail to see that mental and physical health are of equal importance? I’ve grown to realize that mental and physical health cross-impact one another and rely on the stability of the other to function well. However, there is a difference. A physical injury can be fixed with a cast, a procedure and/or physical therapy over a short amount of time. But, there is no such thing as a mental injury—only a scale of strength. Mental strength is built over time. It’s not just something that can be improved with a cast. It takes serious effort and determination. You have to fight the voice inside your head, which takes a lot of strength. For a long time, I resisted fighting those voices. It was easy for me to choose the spiraling path of depression and anxiety because I knew exactly what I’d tell myself. I didn’t want to get better—until a few years ago.

While I still have good days and bad days, and often have to stop my mind from cycling, my mental strength has grown because of my work with my therapist. I’m not afraid to say that my “doctor’s appointment for which I need to be excused” is with a psychologist, because that is no different than going to any other sort of doctor. I’m not afraid to reach out to people who have helped me on my journey in-between my sessions. Most importantly, I am proud to help people who have similar thought-processes as me. Because of what I’ve been through, in recognizing and learning how my own mind works, I feel like I can connect to other people on so many more levels. I can share with them, and I can listen.

Ah, listening: something I need to touch on specifically. A lot of times people believe that talking to a therapist is just that. Talking. Venting. Crying. A session can be any number of those things, and more, but most importantly, I’ve learned that I need to take time to listen to what my therapist has to say in response to my words. I even write down a lot of the things she says on my phone - so if I need reassurance, I have a resource. All sorts of listening are important, but especially, listen to yourself. Listen to what your mind says. If you need someone to walk your journey with you, like a therapist, do it. Talking to a therapist makes you strong.