Hitting the couch

It took me 42 years, but today I finally found myself sitting face-to-face with a therapist. For the first time.

I probably should have done this long ago, like during those dark days without sleep, when young children were threatening to run away with my sanity.

Seeing a therapist is powerful stuff, even considering it wasn't me she wanted to see. Instead, I was there with one of my children. I talked, she listened. My child talked, she listened. She thought, asked questions and gave us some exercises we can do at home. Seems so simple and basic.

And, yet after one hour, my child, who has been a shadow of their former selves, returned home brighter, happier and less scared.

We've got a long road ahead of us, but it's a good start. And the fact that my child feels like they have a bit of control over their issues makes our whole family seem brighter, happier, less scared too.