1-1-1: creating the life you want to live
read about "breaking up" with your therapist, mindset tips, and an update from switzerland!
july, 2023
edition 26.
helloooo if you’re an instagram story watcher, you’d know that I’m writing this edition of the newsletter in switzerland! it is absolutely breathtaking here and my base mood is always +3 when I’m in the mountains/surrounded by nature — this nature just happens to be extra special.
that being said, the rainy days and change-of-itinerary (planning!!!) is causing me a littleeee bit of stress. obviously being rained out two of the five-ish days we’re here is not ideal, but I’m being challenged to give up the control of day-to-day and ~go with the flow~ which is good for my type A every once in a while!
anyways, without further ado, the newsletter:
you can expect one email from me every week containing:
one quote that has been inspiring me
one journal prompt
one piece of advice*
* = if you want to submit a question for my upcoming emails, you can find the form here.
podcast
on hiatus until september — listen to past episodes here <3
one quote
“it’s okay if you’re not where you want to be yet. everything good takes time, and everybody’s timing is unique”
—@cross.novia on ig
one journal prompt
what mindset or attitude do I want to cultivate today?
how can I remind myself of this throughout the day?
one piece of advice
“how do i know when to quit therapy? can i do it my whole life?”
before I answer this question, let me give some context on my own experience with therapy:
started going to therapy a few months before I turned 18
have had therapy as frequently as twice a week and as little as biweekly; my usual schedule is once a week
I’ve seen ~8 therapists in my life
as you can see, I am a big advocate for therapy — I absolutely love it and credit my therapists for helping me along my healing journey. right now I’m not currently seeing a therapist (I “broke up” with my therapist of two years at the beginning of the summer season) but I intend to find someone when I move in the fall!
why so many therapists, you may ask? well, one of the most valuable things I learned from my time at inpatient treatment was that every therapist has a unique set of skills and focuses. as I change the “main” topic of my sessions, I find the appropriate therapist to work through those issues with. that doesn’t mean I don’t talk about other things as well! but a trauma trained therapist may not be the best to talk to about relationships, and vice versa. as I grow (usually parallel to big changes like moving), I find myself gravitating to a therapist with a different expertise.
short answer to the question:
I don’t think therapy is something you can “quit,” but you definitely can take breaks from the process! this is so individual and dependent on your own healing journey (although I wish I could give you a definite answer, like “6 months from your first session!,” I can’t) and you may end up needing weekly therapy for the rest of your life. if that is you, please know that it is okay. I used to resent when people said this but I truly believe that asking for help is the strongest form of strength.
long answer:
the reason why I “broke up” with my therapist recently is because I feel like I’ve learned everything I could from her. a therapist only has finite techniques to teach a client, and it’s okay to realise that you’ve learned everything they have to teach you at the moment.
it was also helpful that I was going through a change — end of college, my last summer, and preparing for an international move. that was an appropriate place to end our sessions as she can’t treat me oversees anyways. her area of focus was also on relationships (both platonic and romantic) and I felt as though she equipped me with the tools to handle most relationship conflict in my future. in less words: I had outgrown her.
I don’t think there’s ever a point where you’ve learned everything you can. I know that if I went back to my current therapist in 50 years, both her and my life experiences would shape what we could learn from each other and she would still be a beneficial therapist for me. for this reason, I don’t believe there is a point where you can “quit for good.”
that being said, I definitely believe you can take breaks, especially if you’re reading non-fiction or watching informative youtube videos or doing other things to increase your emotional intelligence. therapy is one tool but it’s not the only tool, nor is it the best or the most necessary like people may preach it to be!!!
blah sorry for the word vomit but I just needed to lay it out like that so you guys can process my thoughts in a semi-comprehensible way!
reading updates
currently reading: the mark of athena by rick riordan
finished this week:
the lost hero by rick riordan
the son of neptune by rick riordan
the demigod diaries by rick riordan
if you want to keep up with my reading throughout the week, this is my goodreads :)
enjoyed this edition?
until we meet again,
katie