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It's worth considering that this forum is designed to be a therapeutic community. People leave therapeutic relationships for one of two reasons:

1: They need a different kind of therapy.

2: They no longer need therapy.

To me, both reasons are positive. If a person realizes that they need a different kind of therapy, that means they've moved into the kind of space where they can recognize whether or not their chosen therapy is helping them. And that's good.

Alternatively, if a person has moved into the space where they no longer need therapy, that's also good. It means they recognize they're now capable of standing on their own two feet, none of which is to say they'll ever forget the people they leaned on along the way. Quite often, those people are not the ones who were walking ahead of them but rather, the ones who were walking alongside or pushing from behind.

Compassion or the sense of shared humanity, of our kinship with each other, this is what heals.

-- Pema Chodron

I have some people in my own life who know how important they are to me. When there was no one else, those people were there for me. I remain grateful for the strength they allowed me to borrow on but I also know that they're pleased that I'm capable of moving on in my own life by my self now, because of them.

It's to be expected that there might be a bit of sadness over such moments. But also happiness for the other who is moving on either because they're ready to do so or because they recognize that they need something different. Each of us must be true to our own path.


Music of the Hour: