Hi @Lapis_Anteater
This is a really amazing post and very supportive to those who want help.
I remember the first time I was seeking out help I was so nervous, and I didn't know what to expect but I also knew I really needed help and needed to speak to a professional. It wasn't easy at first but my first session went really well, they asked me questions about what my relationship with my parents, friends, work etc was like and even asked if I stopped eating and had lost weight (which I had). I really connected with the psychologist and without her, I wouldn't be where I am, she really helped me see asking for help isn't frowned upon, and that I am not the only person who experienced these things. I remember from our last session together she told me how far I had come and when she moved away she sent a personalised letter to me from the place she worked at. Before I stopped seeing her she gave me other options if I ever needed help again I could go to these places. A couple of years later I briefly saw another one for a separate issue and again I had a really positive relationship with them but my nerves were gone about seeing them and felt safe.
Both of them were non-judgmental, and helped give me tricks and tips to deal with the issues or how I was feeling (breathing technique, muscle relaxation, cognitive therapy), made me more self-aware and just really listened to me which was really important. I finally felt I was being heard and I wasn't such a burden to others.
I would recommend to others that the first session isn't necessarily going to fix everything and after the first session take the rest of the day off it can be mentally draining. Also be open minded they are not their to judge you or tell you are wrong, they are there to listen and help you.
