Starting therapy soon

What I love most about therapy is that I’m never told what to do—my therapist asks me guiding questions and I’ll come to the conclusion through my answers. Many of my sessions start out with just a blargh of feelings. “I’m feeling so sick and tired of men and their stupidity, what is even the point!” And the she may ask me a series of questions from there, and from my answers we go through more questions, and then before you know it an hour goes by. Sometimes I come in very organized. “X happened, and I’m struggling with how to go about addressing it in an accessible way.” Sometimes I just word-vomit unarticulated emotions. In either case, my therapist is unperturbed, and will guide me through questions. A good therapist will be able to help guide the session, no matter what you come in with.

I'm glad that you are taking steps to work on yourself, and better understand what you've gone through. You deserve better than the way you were treated, and I think therapy is a great step. I have gone to a few different therapists over the years. I went regularly for a few years, and I'm to the point now where I only go on an as needed basis - primarily when something big happens and I just need that extra support. My first session was pretty quiet - I didn't know where to start, but I had a great therapist who helped me feel more comfortable about opening up to her. Over time, I learned to journal before my sessions - that helped me make the most of my session, because I'd go in with my thoughts already organized. If I felt like I had a lot to say, I'd even bring make a bullet list of my talking points, and bring that in with me. I had the opportunity to try a few different therapists, and I want to say that sometimes you end up with a therapist who isn't a good fit for you. Sometimes we just don't click with people, and that's okay. Don't be afraid to switch therapists if that happens, they shouldn't take it personally and you need someone that you feel comfortable around. Remember that it's a process. You can supplement your therapy with other forms self-care, such as eating healthy, getting out in nature or exercising, building your support system, or whatever healthy habits that you can manage. I noticed that as I started to make healthier habits, it became easier over time to maintain those, and to even add more. Don't be too hard on yourself on the days where you just don't feel like adulting - I still have those days, but overall I'm in a much better place than I was a few years ago. And you'll get there too, you're wanting to make a change in your life, and you're making the steps you need to.