Imagine you have a huge pile of mess in your room.

It’s been in a jumbled heap for so long that you don’t even know what’s in it. Judging by the outer layer, you’re sure it’s all just useless junk that doesn’t belong there.

You’ve casually mentioned this problem to a couple friends. But you left out the part about how your chest tightens up when you turn the knob to your room at the end of the day. You didn’t tell them that your eyes seem to have a watering problem. You didn’t say that sometimes you wake up in a cold panic and have to catch your breath. Because none of that random stuff has anything to do with the mess, right?

This mess is sneaky. You shoved it down the garbage chute but somehow it crept back into your room. It’s even started hitching a ride with you on the subway, at work, on dates. You’ve tried so hard but you can’t get rid of it. You figure if you have to lug it around, you might as well make it easier for other people (and yourself) to look at. So you stuff it in a box and seal it up.

This works okay for a while. Then…you notice you’re moving more slowly. Everything takes more effort. You’re exhausted. The boxed up mess has gotten heavier.

Think of your anxiety, your depression, your fear that you’re one slip away from shattering into pieces. You’re working hard to manage all of this on your own, but you feel like a hopeless mess.

Life is messy. Sometimes messes are too heavy to carry by yourself. Some thoughts and feelings are too scary to think and feel alone.

Therapy is a safe place to start unpacking this. You set the pace. You decide when you’re ready to pull the tape off. You choose when to pull something out. Each time you do, we’ll take a closer look. We’ll get curious. We’ll wonder together how each piece got here, who put it there, what allowed it to grow, and what kept it hidden. We’ll learn that all of these parts were necessary at one time, that they affect you even when you can’t see them, and that some of them are still useful today.

The more you understand the story of who you are and how you came to be, the lighter your load will feel, and the more flexibility you’ll have in your life going forward.

If any of this sounds familiar, I invite you to reach out.

Take care,