Tiffany’s Story

Tiffany is a Black woman of faith, a wife, and a stay at home mom of a young daughter. She also suffers from depressive episodes. Because she wanted to take good care of her new family, she sought therapy to treat her depression and ended up finding her authentic voice.

Tiffany’s Story Transcript

I am a Nashvillian, born and raised. I am a stay-at-home mom. I love to write and be creative, and, of course, spend time with my daughter. 

My name is Tiffany, and this is my story. 

Before I started counseling, I had a history with depression since childhood, and I had also kind of been in this cycle of having mental breakdowns. I was recently married and had a baby, and so that was really challenging for me. Having a husband and a child, you really can’t go into that shell anymore, and I think just the pressure of having that responsibility caused the breakdowns to happen more frequently. So, I decided it’s time to get some help, and I looked into counseling and found Insight. One of the things that made it stick out for me was the fact that they had financial assistance. When I saw they had that extra help, I was like, “Okay, this is probably the one for me.” 

I was listening to a podcast, and a woman was talking about her mental health journey. She was talking about how she didn’t like her therapist and so decided she was going to switch. It was like a light bulb went off for me, of like, I can choose somebody that I want to see or that I feel comfortable with. So, when I looked on the website, I saw this beautiful brown-skinned woman with natural hair who looked to be about my age, and I was like, “Okay, I think I found somebody who can understand me a little bit more.” She was perfect. 

Well Monet, I think if I could describe her in one word, it would be an advocate. She helped me feel seen and validated, and was just like this wise best friend that everybody needs. So many things I’d been through previously, I was just taught to get over it, and it’s just the way it is, but she helped me see it doesn’t have to be that way. 

After I had been in therapy for about six months, I had gone to this Christian conference, and almost every speaker was saying something that Monet had already told me. So it was just like that confirmation that I needed because when you’ve believed something else for so long, it can be like, “Well, am I being led astray?” or “Is this Biblical?” But God will confirm it. He’s not going to leave you out there in this therapy world to be confused or be misled or anything. 

I think my whole outlook on life is completely different, and my relationship with God is so much better. When I started going to therapy, I felt like He thought I was just this horrible, disgusting sinner. And really going to therapy, I was able to start to receive the love of God and see myself the way God sees me instead of some of the more condemning ways. 

I just feel free now. I don’t feel held back, and it didn’t take my life becoming something other than what it was. It just was me tapping into the own power that I have within myself and trusting in God.  

I would recommend just trying it. Please just try it. Even if you think your life is perfect, or even if you feel like your life is just so horrible that it can’t be saved, just go. Try like four sessions, and I promise you – especially if you find the right person – you’ll start to see changes.  

I haven’t been in one of those depressive slumps or anything in over a year. I’m able to process things a lot easier and not have to shut down and shut the whole world out to try and get myself together. I can see what’s happening, process it, and move on fairly quickly. Going to therapy has helped me get life back. I feel like I am just exploring a new world altogether and I’m able to choose what I like and what I want instead of just accepting anything that other people have presented to me 

Therapy has really given me my voice back and given me my personal power back, and now I’m able to think for myself.