A poem by Warsan Shire

Close up of woman with head on man's chestI’m thinking about calling for individual therapy, but I’m not sure if it will help. I’m lonely and feeling sad. Another boyfriend has come and gone (he wasn’t good for me, but I wanted him anyway, or maybe I just wanted a boyfriend). I just keep wondering…how is it possible that I’m single…again!?

At Emily Cook Therapy, we believe that individual therapy can help. In fact, we just published a new page on our website about how individual counseling in Bethesda, MD is a focus on YOU. Individual therapy can help you heal from the end of this recent relationship, help you figure out the patterns that keep you feeling stuck, and help you learn new insights about ways to feel joyful and confident again.

You may have read about Warsan Shire in the news lately– Warsan Shire is one of the poets that Beyoncé features in the visual album for Lemonade and her award-winning poetry is powerful. Your comments remind me of a poem by Warsan Shire (found here). Warsan Shire writes the poem like a stream-of-consciousness letter to herself:

and were you being good to yourself?
Warsan Shire

[love letter to self]

i don’t think so. but, i forgive you, girl, who tallied stretch marks into reasons why no one should get close. i forgive you, silly girl, sweet breath, decent by default. i forgive you for being afraid. did everything betray you? even the rain you love so much made rust out of your jewellery? i forgive you, soft spoken girl speaking with fake brash voice, fooling no one. i see you, tender even on your hardest days. i forgive you, waiting for him to call, i forgive you, the diets and the cruel friends. especially for that one time you said ‘i fucking give up on love, it’s not worth it, i’d rather be alone forever’. you were just pretending, weren’t you? i know you didn’t mean that. your body, your mouth, your heart, made specifically for loving. sometimes the things we love, will kill us, but weren’t we dying anyway? i forgive you for being something that will eventually die. perishable goods, fading out slowly, little human, i wouldn’t want to be in a world where you don’t exist.

Individual counseling in Bethesda, MD provides a safe, supportive place to sort things out. Together with your individual therapist you can answer the questions Warsan Shire poses in her poem– is there room for self-forgiveness? Is there knowledge of your worth as a person, worthy of love? Were you being good to yourself?

Call an experienced individual therapist today. We can help.