A couple of weeks ago, I had lunch with a good friend from work. It was really a catch-up kind of thing, as working from home has allowed us to not actually see each other in real life for a bit. We talked about all kinds of things from work to kids to health. But we hit on a topic that I had been bandying about in my head for some time: therapy.

Now, I’ve gone to therapy in the past. I had some good experiences with it, and I had some really bad experiences. As I’ve reflected over the years, I realized I didn’t get what I wanted (nay, needed) out of it, and that’s why I quit that many years ago. Since then, I’ve actually kind of crystallized what I need from it, along with the realization that I do need it.

I want someone to:

• Listen
• Acknowledge my fears as valid
• Tell me I’m not crazy or a bad person

That’s it. That’s the list.

And honestly, I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Because I am not crazy, nor am I a bad person. As they always say, sometimes you just need to hear it from someone else.