What?!

I know I shouldn't be laughing about the behavior of this medical "professional," but I just can't help it now that you have drawn the parallel of your booksignings and classroom instruction. It's as if this crazy man thought his practice was some sort of "reality" show in which he could edit out the timeout so he could come back with some sage advice after you had already collected yourself. Ridiculous to the point of becoming "redonkulous" (riduculous with a whole lot of donkey embedded in it).

I am glad you are happy to get out of bed each morning, Jessica, to share your obviously self-taught wisdom with the rest of us!

Shana

Shana McLean Moore www.caffeinatedponderings.com www.sunnysidecommunications.com

Some "professionals" deserve prison.

You can think back on this failure of a so-called professional and know how strong you are to have survived his "therapy."  Congratulations.

As an adult, I came to know that my higt school history teacher (though a respected woman in our community) deserved prison for taking a salary and not teaching us. That is thievery just as your "therapist" was a thief.  (We took turns reading the textbook--up and down the rows--waiting miserably while the slow readers stumbled and we pitied but went berserk with boredom.)   I thought maybe I was too harsh until another friend recalled he deliberately wrote her a paper with nonsense after page one.  Because he was the youngest of a family of bright kids, she evidently felt she did not have to read his paper and just gave him an "A" grade.  This is beyond laziness.  It is theivery.  Ah well.  The human family has to put up with the incompetents and theives.  And terrorists.  Such troubling people have always existed and always will.  I'd rather suffer one than to be one. 

Time Out Therapy

Hello Jessica,

I am sorry to hear of your experience with the therapist . Yes, the whispers in your ears , to listen, let her talk, let her cry, have been your pearls that healed you. And mostly, your forgiveness of this man and his silly ways.

Though my experience was completely the opposite (at the same age) with an experience of a therapist. I can see clearly that You are the one who needed "Time Out"! All was well in your life, but that's not to say, perhaps, you were on overload! Trying to take care of two children, a home, and a promising profession, not to mention your help in watching over the finances, and those small everyday responsibilities of a family, especially more so with children,  that you took intelligent responsible choices for everyday. Is a whole lot that you were holding up , and no one to tell you "Just How Much You Are Doing! "

I loved your story, and it reminds me of my experience that I wrote in my book." Our Greatest Dream",  If I may share with you:

Therapist…. An Angel to Lead Us

Matthew 4,4 ‘Not by bread alone is man to live but on every utterance that comes from the mouth of God.”

Because of the overwhelming grief and loss, I went to see a psychologist who practiced at the hospital where my husband had recently died. She was a young woman, in her early thirties. As I told my story, she cried. The whole time I spoke to her she was obviously moved with emotion. She said that the things I had experienced by the age of 26 were more than some people experience in a lifetime. And that typically, it would happen in the later years of life. In the span of a few short months, I had lost my mother, my husband, and my home, all at one time. It is not something most people are prepared to deal with at such a young age. She explained that there were two ways to live through these kinds of experiences. Because traumas like this do change people. She said, as you live through this, you will either become harder or you will soften. Oh! The blessed wisdom she knew! She said I could choose love and become softer towards life, and its challenges. Or I could choose anger and become bitter and hardened by the harshness. (At this time I was carrying the cross.) She said it is your choice.

At that time, I did not fully understand the depth of her words. And even though I did not clearly understand it then, I knew I wanted to be softer. But God! The pain was great that I had blocked out most of my feelings. I didn’t feel much of anything. I was suffering and my heart was broken. I had lost so much in such a short time, it was beyond comprehension. I was numb, and confused, and it took some time to feel much of anything! Eventually feelings of anger would come up, and I cried out to God, "Please, don’t let me be angry. I want to be softer. I want to be love!”

Though I only had one visit with that therapist, her words and expression would affect me for a lifetime. Those sacred words were guiding me, like a compass to a lost traveler. I seemed to be led to every book with the messages I needed to hear … “the mysterious Spirit always guiding me”! It's important to remember that our words and our actions might affect someone else for their entire life. Choose wisely, choose love. That one visit with that person stayed with me my entire life. I did not seek out therapy again. Because I was living with my father at that time, I told him I had seen a psychologist and that she advised more therapy and a Doctor that prescribed anti-depressants because I was very confused, and depressed. He told me it was normal to be confused and depressed at this time, and seeing a doctor and taking any medicine was only going to hurt me later in life. He told me there would be something wrong if I acted any other way then the way I was acting. He said “you’re supposed to be hurt, sorrowful, depressed and confused with what you have gone through!!” His words stayed with me and supported me in allowing our true Source God to heal my sorrow naturally. He was old fashioned and was against anti – depressants and therapy, he didn’t know about them. I believed what he said. I never took any medicine. My medicine was in recalling the words my father spoke to me and the sacred words from the psychologist. They remained in my heart my entire life, and have served me many times. Today my father's wise words that comforted me back then, spoke volumes. I read in one of the most brilliant inspirational authors book “Return to Love” ….. “ it is not neurotic to grieve the loss of a relationship, it is neurotic when we don’t”,…. when I read her sacred words I remembered my fathers words in wisdom he said to me….that helped me accept that it was okay to feel my feelings. His words helped me embrace the process, it was okay to cry and grieve and it was okay to heal, naturally. These words, spoken by my father, and these sacred words written by Marianne Williamson are words that comforted me through the sorrow to healing.

Thank You Jessica ,Very Much for "Time Out"..I loved it and related to it the same:-)

Truly,

Catherine