Holding on to anger and unforgiveness about things that were happening in my life recently prevented me from moving forward. I was stuck. This had a negative ripple effect on my relationships with family and friends, I had to do something to change this. I had to address how I felt and identify what was holding me back.
There were multiple things I did to get unstuck. Part of it was through prayer, reading books and bible verses that people recommended, writing a gratitude list, praying with friends, and seeing my own therapist. Therapists need therapists too. Therapy is for everyone.
Writing a gratitude list of where God has shown up in my life was pivotal for me. It shifted my focus away from me and what I thought was a problem, to a focus on God as the source of all things. He is the source of forgiveness, the source of taking my anger, the source of providing for me, and for knowing what I needed at the time.
I shared this gratitude list with my therapist who then helped me see how important relationships are to me. She pointed out that my list was loaded with people coming alongside of me. She helped me step back and take a look at my life from a new perspective. It helped me shift my focus. That was one of the biggest things I did in this process.
A great benefit about going to see a therapist is they can give an objective view of the whole picture. Your therapist can help you sort things out and help you see what you can’t see because you are too close to it. Even our best friends can’t always see things objectively or from a distance. So seeing a therapist sheds a whole new light on the situation and gives you a new perspective.
By including therapy in part of my process, I now have a deep sense of peace. I have an awareness of the blessings in my life that are greater than the things that I was focusing on that kept me stuck. Therapy helps.
– Lisa Lounsbury, Executive Director of Art Lab Rx