so this happened

jeremy and i graduated from marriage counseling!!

us on the last morning of our mexican vacation, july 2014.

our final therapy session with dr. vermiller was monday, august 25th. we spent the hour recalling the year gone by, recapping what we've learned and remembering to continue building upon our foundation that's now been shored up strong. from start to finish we spent almost exactly one year in counseling, with over 20 sessions under our belt. dr. vermiller assured us this is actually very quick progress. he was proud of how far we've come (both personally and as a couple) and how hard we worked to rediscover joy in our relationship.

it was hard to think back to where we started. we were in a very broken, hopeless place one year ago.

but it was good; a reminder about why we are both committed to never going back there again.


here are my final thoughts on counseling:

- it's one of the greatest gifts a person can give themselves!
- it can really suck at times.
- choosing the right therapist is key. you want someone who encourages you, yet challenges you.
- a therapist cannot do the work for you. he can lead you in the right direction but ultimately saving your marriage (or whatever you need to focus on) is your choice.
- i fully expect jeremy and i will need a "booster" session or two at some point down the road and that doesn't doesn't bother me. it actually makes me feel really smart. we've set up a safety net for our marriage and won't have any difficulty calling for back-up if we need it.