From Survival to Service

Not long after I started that new job, the one that came after the prayer, the breakdown, and the conversation with a friend, I noticed something unexpected happening. I was showing up for work every day, doing what needed to be done. But more than that, I was starting to show up for myself. It wasn’t overnight, but little by little, the fog of despair began to lift. I wasn’t just surviving anymore. I was slowly beginning to live again.

At first, I just wanted stability: a paycheck, a sense of dignity. But with time, something deeper began to stir. I realized I didn’t just want to get by, I wanted to grow. I wanted to learn. I wanted to understand why so many people, like me, fall into silent suffering. I wanted to become the kind of person who could walk beside others in their darkest moments, not with advice or quick fixes, but with presence, understanding, and a deep sense of purpose.

That realization is what led me back to school. I juggled work, parenting, late nights, and long papers, but I didn’t stop. I knew that if I could turn my pain into purpose, then none of what I went through would be wasted. Every struggle, every tear, every moment I thought I wouldn’t make it became the foundation for something greater.

Becoming a therapist wasn’t just a career decision. It was a calling.

Today, I work with people who remind me of myself in that parked car, people who feel stuck, unseen, or overwhelmed by the weight they’re carrying. Whether they’re parents, veterans, men told to “man up,” or individuals simply trying to breathe through the stress of life, I meet them where they are. Not as someone who has all the answers, but as someone who understands what it means to break and to rebuild.

Healing didn’t come all at once. It came through connection, through faith, through small, stubborn steps forward. And now, every time a client tells me they feel a little more hopeful, a little more in control, or simply a little less alone, I remember that moment in the car with my daughter. I remember the prayer. And I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

If you're reading this and feeling stuck, here are three small steps you can take today to begin your journey:

1. Be honest with one person you trust about how you’re really doing. You don’t need to have the perfect words, just start where you are.

2. Write down three things you’ve made it through in life. Remind yourself of your resilience, even if it doesn’t feel like strength right now.

3. Give yourself permission to ask for help. Reaching out to a therapist, friend, or support group isn’t weakness, it’s one of the bravest steps forward.

You don’t have to do this alone. You were never meant to!