Let’s talk therapy.

I decided to share some of those lessons I’ve learned, hoping that it brings you some healing and possibly some encouragement of exactly what therapy has to offer. 

One of the first things my therapist taught me is the idea of emotional vocabulary. This is a fancy way of describing a way to identify our emotions properly. She suggested I google something called an “emotional vocabulary wheel” (exactly what it sounds like.) By using this, I was able to understand my emotions better and feel them. For example, instead of telling her, I felt “bad,” I would say I was feeling “stressed.” That stress eventually turned into feelings of being “overwhelmed” and feeling “out of control.” By giving a specific name to my emotions, it made it a lot easier to process them. 

The next thing my therapist and I discussed is emotional inventory. Emotional inventory and emotional vocabulary go hand-in-hand. Emotional inventory is essentially being aware (or taking stock) of what triggers certain emotions for you. So, for example, when I am feeling out of control, my therapist asked me to be aware of what I was doing, who I was with, whatever was causing me to feel this way. This helped me immensely with healing from a break-up. There would be days where I felt completely fine, and then there would be days where I would stay in bed all day crying and listen to sad music (as one does). My therapist told me to take an emotional inventory of what was triggering those bouts of sadness. 

Although these two concepts seem pretty basic, they have helped me in almost every aspect of my life. For example, I used to describe myself as an “overly emotional” person. My therapist quickly told me to find another way to express myself because overly emotional labeling seemed hostile. I am now proud to say I am an extremely sensational person. Since going to therapy, I have learned how to embrace every sensation I have, whether positive or negative. Those sensations, those emotions, I experience them for a reason. Being able to name my feelings has made it easier to take emotional inventory because I am now more aware of what I am feeling. I know it will become easier to learn exactly where those feelings are coming from. 

I hope these tips help you in some way and show a glimpse into how exactly therapy can assist in the struggles of our everyday lives. So next time you feel a certain way, don’t forget to whip out that emotional vocabulary wheel. 

Happy Mental Health Awareness Month.