Today I am thankful for personal/emotional therapy. Now I am sure that many different ideas come to mind when one thinks of the word therapy, and more than likely those ideas boast as their foundation the idea of receiving professional assistance of some sort (i.e. physical therapy, psychological therapy, psychosocial therapy, etc.), which is certainly something that I respect and believe to be beneficial for society as a whole and for individuals.
However, there also exists another type of therapy that I like to refer to as “personal” therapy or “emotional” therapy. Now, I am probably not the first person to ever think of this nor to categorize this concept this way, so by no means am I holding myself out to be an expert or even a professional in this regard.
So, what exactly am I referring to when I mention personal therapy or emotional therapy, you might ask? I am glad that you asked that question. I consider personal therapy or emotional therapy to comprise the helpful, nurturing, encouraging, and supportive interactions that take place between those who are not acting in a professional capacity. In essence, personal/emotional therapy is the support, advice, and encouragement that we receive from our loved ones – the shoulders that they extend to us when we find it to be a challenge to hold ourselves up, the encouraging text messages that they send to us when we are struggling to make it through a day that is quickly becoming the most challenging one that we have ever experienced, the listening ear that they extend to us when we have so much to say but are not even sure how to say it.
That is the therapy that we need most of all, but unfortunately many of us either do not know that we need it, do not have access to it, or are too proud to accept it, which is unfortunate. I encourage all of us to make ourselves genuinely available to those whom we love and care for, and also to allow those who care for us and make the effort to be there for us to reach us, love us, and provide us with the personal/emotional therapy that we need and (if we are honest with ourselves) truly desire. Now that is a trend that is worth starting. #lovebythedrop
love by the drop 