Counselor’s Corner Issue 23

Hi, my teammates!

Holly Bourne in Am I Normal Yet? writes "Because there's nothing more comforting than someone who actually gets it. Really gets it. Because they've been to the same hell as you have and can verify you've not made it up."

Although I'm careful in my role to avoid projection by sharing my personal experiences with students, I have lately broken my own rule. You see, so many of our ILC students are battling depression and anxiety. To the extreme. They're experiencing sleepless nights, loss of appetite, lack of motivation, and much worse.

So I do it. I break my own rule-of-thumb. I share my own journey with depressed family members and their symptoms. I open up about how my anxiety was out of control. I confide how that process has brought me to a better place where I can manage my emotions. And I do it to normalize their experience. I want them to know that they're not going crazy, not broken, and not going to be like this forever.

And I share it with you to normalize YOUR experience. The "hell" of this year may have you in the throws of anxiety and/or depression. My friend, take comfort in knowing that I am someone who actually gets it. I've been there. I know.

This week I've been intentional to include resources that offer mindfulness strategies and ways to reduce stress as an educator. I hope you'll use these and me as your go-to because "I've been there and can verify you've not made it up."

Your cheerleader,
Mindy