Below you'll find stories, shared anonymously by real people, revealing the transformative purpose of therapy. If you'd like to have your story included, please send us a message.

So, where to start on how having access to mental health care provider had a positive impact on me? Growing up, boys were told to walk it off when it came to physical pain. If it didn’t kill you, it made you stronger. Emotionally, it was no different. Talking about either was weakness and that translated into not being a man. Multiple concussions from sports, (7 I think), a seizure, sexual abuse as a kid, PTSD all lead to a road of trying to hide being in pain on a daily basis, if not hourly. Taking me to some pretty dark places mentally that I attempted to hide with any way I could find to get my mind off it. But it was like a hole in my body I couldn’t get rid of or fill. I just wanted it to stop and alone I couldn’t escape it. Fortunately, I had someone that got me into counseling and the help I needed and before I made any decisions that would have been permanent. It’s changed my life, it saved my life. I’m a better person, husband and father because of it. Because I had access to help.

When I started therapy over a year ago after losing my dad, I thought I was going in for grief therapy. However, at the same time, my husband and I were also having problems and I also needed help navigating that. After just one session, I quickly learned that what I’ve been doing my whole adult life has been trying to heal a mother wound I never knew I had. It affected who I was as a woman, how I participated in my marriage and how I felt about myself. I’ve always felt lost and I’ve always felt differently, but I did not know why. I had toxic friendships and did not know why. I was a people pleaser to the nth degree and put myself last but. Did. Not. Know. Why. When I lost my dad and when my marriage hit rock bottom (much to most of my issues), I knew I had to do something. Therapy pulled out the trauma that I didn’t know I had and helped me become a whole new person and wife. I learned to set boundaries with my mother (which is hard AF btw), learned the word no, turned my self condemning thoughts into positive ones, and learned to put myself first in the most positive and selfless way possible. What happened is that my world slowly changed before me. My marriage grew stronger because I was actually talking to my husband and allowing him to help me with my problems instead of thinking I had to do everything on my own. I learned that I was a victim of gaslighting and that’s why I felt my feelings were never real or validated. I developed real and strong friendships with new people and poured into those friends that “stayed” and really loved me for the person I am, not the person I’ve been pretending to be my whole life. Had I not gone to therapy, I honestly don’t know where I’d be. My world was dark last year. Dark and scary. Going to therapy saved my life, my marriage and my future self. It’s the best thing someone can do for themselves and frankly, the ones around that then that are important to them.

Having lost my spouse at 26, therapy has helped me process my grief and get back to a joyful life + enjoy love after loss. The communication tools and a third party perspective have been instrumental in making me a better communicator, partner, and friend. I couldn't imagine having to go through this alone - I hope everyone can get access to the support they need.

After I finished graduate school I found myself working an entry level job in my field that did not offer benefits that cover mental health. I contacted several agencies requesting sliding scale fees but was unable to find a provider taking new patients at a rate I could afford. The hopelessness I felt in this experience exacerbated my mental health symptoms and I found myself experiencing panic attacks that dramatically reduced my quality of life. During a panic attack I contact the county’s crisis hotline who was able to see me that day. Through the crisis center I was connected with a therapist and psychiatrist. The psychiatrist started me on medication that lessened the intensity of my panic attacks while my therapist helped me identify the situations, thoughts, behaviors, and fears that contributed to my anxiety. Addressing the core issues behind my anxiety by reframing the beliefs I developed as a result of childhood trauma allowed me to look at my life with a new perspective. That new perspective gave me compassion for myself and my family of origin and allowed me to see and rely on my strengths. Through the therapeutic relationship I learned to trust another person’s guidance- breaking the cycle of secrecy and shame passed down through generations in my family! I gained the confidence to leave a job that was abusive and kept me in a state of victimhood. I now see the patterns in my life that have reenacted dysfunction from childhood and can choose to make a change before there is a crisis. My panic attacks have significantly reduced, from 2-4 a day to 4 a year. When I do experience a panic attack I am able to implement the grounding techniques that I learned in therapy to reduce the intensity and duration of an attack. I now have a career in a field I am passionate about. My career, finances, relationships, and physical and mental health are stable and consistent. I feel safe with myself and confident in my abilities to care for myself. Had I not had the gift of therapy during the lowest point in my life I am sure that I would not have been able to achieve the life I have today.