I’ve seen plenty of therapists over the past few decades to help during my many times of grief, sadness, fear, worry, doubt, and the like, all because of my never-ending desire to grow spiritually stronger and healthier in life. While some of those therapists were utilized for extremely short periods of time, others were used for far longer periods and made much more of a lasting impression. One who is doing just that is someone I’m currently seeing on a weekly basis and felt she deserved an entire blog entry devoted to her today.
The story of me meeting this therapist begins several years ago when I moved to Toledo, a time when I was not under the care of one, nor was in the market for one either. In fact, it was during a stretch where I felt I was far more stable than in prior years and when I absolutely thought I wouldn’t need the aid of one any time soon. But zoom forward two years later in the Spring of 2016 and that all changed, as it was then my partner and I began struggling with some heavy issues within our relationship.
Having never had any success with prior partners that ended up in couple’s therapy with me, I was totally hesitant to look for a therapist again. Yet with some urgings from a spiritual teacher, it was suggested I give it another chance and that I did. That’s when I went on the web and did a Google search in my area for all couple’s therapists who were gay-friendly, after which I got a list of 40+ names. I must say I felt slightly overwhelmed at this point as to how to choose a name off that large list. So, I decided to pray about it and then started going through the list several times, ultimately limiting it down to only five names. I then asked my partner to do the same, and ironically, between our two lists, we had one in common, a therapist named Linda.
While I was astonished we’d actually been able to arrive at the one commonality, I still remained skeptical as to whether she’d be the right fit for a number of reasons. One was if she was open to new clients, a second was how long we’d have to wait for our first visit, and the third was if she even accepted my insurance. I was quite shocked to learn on the very same day I called her to inquire about all this that not only did I reach her, but also, she was open for new clients, had immediately availability, and even accepted my insurance! (Pretty incredible Godwinks if I must say!)
A few days later, my partner and I arrived for our first couple’s therapy session and I instantly had no doubt that God had led me to her. Warm and inviting from the onset, Linda greeted us in a way that evoked a strong spiritual presence and a total sense of peace. Not only that, her office was painted in bright colors, purple especially (which is my favorite color no less!). The décor was also just as inviting as she was, reminding me of the many things I’d find around the comfort of my own home including crystals, plants, books, and spiritual slogans. Interestingly enough, all of this was in stark contrast to the last few therapists I’d seen where my visits were in conference rooms, sitting in uncomfortable chairs, with nothing around me other than white walls and a single small window.
Nevertheless, after that first session was over, my partner and I immediately scheduled our next appointment, both agreeing she was the perfect fit for us. As I got up from the couch to say goodbye, I silently wondered if Linda would give me a hug given the number of past therapists who told me personal contact like that was a no-no for them. I was thankful I asked, because I then received a big hug from her that made me feel like I was important to her as much as she was to me.
Soon after that visit, life took a sudden spin in a direction I didn’t foresee, one where my spiritual teacher needed to take a break from helping me for a good while. Seeing that I was sincerely worrying about not having their help, one of that teacher’s parting thoughts was for me to consider seeing my own therapist. That’s when I asked Linda if she’d be open to personal therapy as well and was pleasantly surprised to discover she was. A week later, I started my own sessions and I’m grateful I did, as since then, her stable presence has helped me to navigate through a number of ups and downs I’ve had to go through.
I see Linda now at least twice a week and I’ve never felt like I’ve been a burden to her during any of my visits. Constantly allowing extra time, extending our sessions quite often, offering much compassion and sincerity in her words and expressions throughout them all, texting friendly hellos and appointment reminders during the week, and even contacting me over the phone during several moments of crisis on her days off, she really has been there for me beyond the norm of what I came to experience with many of my past therapists. Some of which never even returned my calls for days or cancelled my appointments mere hours before I was to arrive for my visit!
That’s why I honestly can’t imagine seeing any other therapist at this point in time, especially because I’ve seen a lot of incredible healing take place in both my relationship and with myself due to her guidance. So, thank you Linda for that, for being such a warm and inviting therapist and for always making me feel like I matter. I wholeheartedly believe you’re doing God’s work and living out one of your life purposes. And I want you to know that I’m so very grateful for everything and for finally having a therapist who’s truly there for their clients…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
