I’ll be the first to admit that the transition from college online to in person classes has not been easy for me. There is such a huge disconnect between the year I experienced as a freshman versus my second year now. Last year I was able to make my schedule freely. There was always a recorded lecture to fall back on if I wanted to go to the beach for the fourth day in a row or go out to explore the new place I called home. Now, I feel the polar opposite. My days are consumed with running back and forth between my apartment, lectures, and my extracurriculars.
I felt that I started off strong but then really began to feel the effects of having no say in how I could spend my time. It quickly became a never ending cycle of not having enough time to do things outside of school and wanting to do things and being too exhausted to do them. I woke up not looking forward to anything. This led me to return to therapy for the first time in years.
Throughout my life, I have gone to therapy for various reasons. Despite my previous experiences, I was still hesitant to call and ask about going back to therapy. It had always been hard for me to connect with the person I was talking to and quite honestly the thought of retelling my life story to a new therapist sounded exhausting and I was already drained. But I eventually called.
It has now been a month.
Going back to therapy as a nineteen year old college student versus being a sixteen year old girl, gave me more insight on the value of therapy and how to get more out of your time spent.
I truly believe that everyone can benefit from talking to a therapist. However, so much of it depends on your mindset and how you communicate with the person you are talking to. To begin with, you must have a therapist that you can relate to. This means a similar race, or cultural background, and other aspects of your identity that are important to you. If you find a disconnect, ask to speak to a new person. Not only is a similar background important, you also need to figure out what you want out of therapy. Hopefully the first time that you talk, you will be asked what your goals are. For me, I wanted to learn new tools to help with the way I was feeling. But it could be as simple as just wanting to talk to a non-biased listener.
I know that therapy can be discouraging. It is not a magical experience where all your problems cease to exist instantly and it may take multiple attempts to find the therapist that is right for you. Don’t give up, the connection is not there and avoid generalizing all therapists– I promise that you will find the right therapist. All you have to do is speak up and go through a bit of trial and error. One of the things that I’m reminded of is that therapy should be viewed as a temporary thing that will help you to live your life in the future rather than a permanent aspect of your life. Embrace it wholeheartedly and gain what you need to thrive on your own after receiving the help that you need.
Ultimately, I want to encourage you that if you have ever thought about going to therapy, go! And if you are struggling with anything, I encourage you to start your journey. If you are like me and have gone to therapy in the past, don’t be afraid to go back. We all have moments in our life that we need a little extra support and there is nothing wrong with that.