During the hardest times of my life, there have been certain words—be it from books, a podcast interview, a conversation with a friend or my therapist—that have served as an anchor for me to hold onto whenever I felt overwhelmed and untethered.
Just last year, as I was navigating the grief that came after a capital B breakup, my therapist told me that whenever I felt sad about what I had to say goodbye to, to acknowledge those feelings, but then also think of what I’m now able to say hello to. So, for weeks and months afterwards, I’d recall her advice and try to put it into practice.
I’d mourn the loss of a shared home, and then, look around and marvel at my new space that I can keep as clean as I want. I’d miss the rituals we had of eating dinner and watching a show together every night, but then celebrate the extra time and energy I now had to take dance classes and writing workshops in the evenings instead. It was a subtle reframing that continues to bring me comfort and clarity as I move forward on my own.
In thinking about how helpful this one piece of advice was for me, I asked people to share the best advice they ever received in therapy. Here’s what they had to say.
