Tag Archives: Therapy

Weekly Plans

Posted on by Gertie

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Visit mom for Mother’s Day and take her out to dinner

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Make mom breakfast in bed
  • Help mom with chores before going home
  • Cuddle with my cat, Billie after getting home from mom’s house

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Kickball practice

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • In person therapy with therapist
  • In person group therapy
  • Kickball practice

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Lunch with grandpa
  • Kickball practice

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House (a mental health clubhouse)
  • Dinner with grandpa

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation practice
  • Morning walk
  • Kickball game
  • Hang out with kickball team after kickball team

Weekly Check-In

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! It is Saturday evening which means it is that time of the week to do my weekly check-in. I guess I will start from the beginning of the week. I started the week by volunteering at PAWS Cat City. It was a typical opening shift for a Sunday. The best part was helping with getting a very shy cat to get adopted. I love it when any cat gets adopted but even that much special when a shy or spicy cat gets adopted.

The other major thing is that I attended both group therapy and individual therapy this past week. Group therapy is okay and I am enjoying one of the groups I am in. As far as individual therapy goes, I had a tough session with my therapist but it was a good session. Therapy is tough but well worth it.

Now on to earlier today as I played kickball. Sadly, my team lost but at least we didn’t lose to the mercy rule which is great for my team. I love playing kickball and enjoy it greatly. Kickball gives me a sense of community as well as some much needed exercise.

I do not have much more to discuss in this particular weekly check-in. I want to thank you the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Posted on by Gertie

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Read
  • Art (color and/or rock painting)
  • Work on mental health recovery workbooks

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House (a mental health clubhouse)
  • Work on mental health recovery workbooks
  • Dinner with friends

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House (a mental health clubhouse)
  • Attend Queer Space (in person) group
  • Kickball practice
  • Work on mental health recovery workbooks

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Emerald House virtual group
  • Attend (in person) WHAM group
  • Work on mental health recovery workbooks
  • Kickball practice

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Sexual Health: An Essential Part of Recovery Training (virtual)
  • LGBTQ+ virtual group
  • Kickball practice
  • Work on mental health recovery workbooks

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House (a mental health clubhouse)
  • Virtual appointment with therapist
  • Dinner with friends
  • Work on mental health recovery workbooks

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Kickball game
  • Work on mental health recovery books
  • Read
  • Art (color and/or rock painting)

Weekly Plans

Posted on by Gertie

Sunday

  • Mindfulness Meditation practice through the Calm App.
  • Morning walk
  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Spend the day with my partner, Junior
  • Dinner at Red Robin with friends and Junior

Monday

  • Mindfulness Meditation practice through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House
  • Movies with friends and Junior

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness Meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House
  • Attend an in person queer group
  • Read
  • Art (color and/or rock painting)

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness Meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend a virtual group
  • Lunch with my partner, Junior at Red Robin
  • Read
  • Art (color and/or rock painting)
  • Attend a virtual 12 step meeting

Thursday

  • Mindfulness Meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend a virtual group
  • Read
  • Art (color and/or rock painting)
  • Time with Junior

Friday

  • Mindfulness Meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Attend Emerald House
  • Attend virtual appointment with therapist
  • Dinner at Red Robin with Junior and friends
  • Movies with Junior and friends

Saturday

  • Mindfulness Meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Go to the U-District Farmer’s Market
  • Read
  • Art (Color and/or rock painting)
  • Dinner with friends

Tough Couple of Nights

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is just barely after five o’clock in the morning here in Seattle. It’s been a tough couple nights due to suddenly remembering something horrific from my childhood a couple of nights ago. On the good note about this is when I remembered, Junior was with me and then the next day which was yesterday, I had therapy.

Therapy is not meant to be easy but yesterday was tough but my therapist was compassionate and empathetic as always. She listened and gave me some suggestions to help take care of myself. My therapist makes talking about tough shit safe to talk about even when it feels unsafe due to PTSD symptoms.

Due to those PTSD symptoms, I had a couple of challenging nights and lack of sleep. Junior helped me Wednesday but was unable to help last night (Thursday) due to working. Sadly, he is unavailable today and tonight due to work as well. He is a firefighter and works twenty-four hour shifts and is doing an overtime shift today. Anyway, last night I had the help of a couple of friends via phone as well as my cat, Billie. I am grateful for my natural support system.

I do not have anything else to write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

A Catch Up Type of Post

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! It has been quite a while since I last posted. I don’t have any particular reason why I have not blogged nor do I have any legit excuses. I do know a lot has happened since I last blogged. Some bad things but some good things. The good things thankfully out way the bad things.

First and foremost, I joined a book club that is geared toward the queer community. To make it even better the book we are going to choose will be a queer fiction book. The book club I joined will meet on Thursday evenings starting this Thursday. We will get to know each other and choose a book this Thursday and I am looking forward to it. I looking forward to it because it will help me get social interaction within the queer community.

Secondly, I am now a part of a queer kickball league. I got assigned to a team called Resting Pitch Face and our first practice is tomorrow (Wednesday). Our first game is this Saturday. I am also looking forward to this as it will provide me some exercise and social interaction within the queer community.

In fact my therapist suggested that getting more involved within the queer community could help me with my recovery especially since she noticed how well I did when I worked at a queer mental health agency before it permanently closed. I have to agree that being within the queer community has helped me a great deal with my mental health recovery and I am looking forward to being more part of the queer community.

I do not have much more to write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Tough Therapy Session W/Some Awesomeness

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! It is another Saturday evening here in Seattle and despite having a challenging day due to PTSD, I am grateful for the awesomeness of the people around me. Awesomeness that my therapist idea helped with at the end of my session with her yesterday (Friday).

Long story short, my session with my therapist was quite challenging yesterday (Friday). We discussed a lot of childhood trauma shit. Shit that was some of the hardest crap I dealt with as a child. Hell, it was some of the hardest shit I dealt with in my entire life that I shared with my therapist. Anyway, at the end of most of my sessions we discuss ways to take care of myself especially when it is a tough session. I brought up the book I am reading and how it is in the dark fantasy and gay fiction genre’s as well how it is a representation of being in the queer community. My therapist suggested that I find things to do in the queer community such as sports league like kickball or dodgeball. She suggested this since she knows I thrived when I worked a a mental health agency that was queer focused and sadly the agency went under due to the lack of funding. My therapist also gave me an idea to join a book club that is hopefully with other queer readers or a book that is queer related.

On that note, I reached out to the queer community via a Facebook group and asked about queer sports leagues involving kickball or dodgeball. I signed up for a kickball team yesterday (Friday) and will sign up for a dodgeball team when sign ups open up next Friday (March 1, 2024). I am so looking forward to participating in both a kickball team and a dodgeball team.

Since I received a great response regarding queer sporting leagues on Facebook, I reached out regarding book clubs. I am in fact currently looking at book clubs and the books they are reading. Representation in books is much needed.

I do not have much more to discuss in this particular blog post except that I am grateful for my therapist suggesting me getting more involved in the queer community in activities that I enjoy doing. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Check-In

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! It is Saturday evening which means I do my weekly check-in with you the reader. Overall, things have been overwhelming knowing that I am going to be a parent and give birth this summer. The thought of being a parent is both scary and exciting at the same time.

In fact my therapist and I discussed being pregnant and me becoming a parent. We talked about me being fearful of becoming like my parents when I become a parent and my therapist validated my fear. She assured me that I won’t end up parenting my kid like my parents parented me. I also talked to my therapist about my kid ending up with a mental health challenge due to my own mental health challenges. My therapist understands my concerns.

I am pretty sure I don’t have much more to check in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it weren’t for you the reader, reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write my blog. Again, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Just Another Post About Therapy

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! I had therapy today and it was a virtual appointment as it has been for the last year due to me working. My next appointment will be an in person appointment which I am thrilled about. My therapist and I will attempt to make a more set schedule for in person appointments now that I am not currently working.

My therapist and I of course discussed being pregnant. We discussed how being pregnant most likely will trigger my PTSD due to having the OBGYN checking me down below the belt on the monthly basis while pregnant. We discussed the things I could do to help me if I get triggered by getting examined by the OBGYN.

We also discussed a hard traumatic event that happened to me when I was a child. My therapist validated this experience and reiterated that I am not the monster despite me feeling like a monster. My therapist is really awesome and I am grateful that she is a safe person to talk with and that she makes therapy a safe place.

I do not have much more to write about in this particular blog post. I do want to thank you, the reader for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you the reader, read my blog. If it was not for you the reader reading my blog, I would not be continuing to write on my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Posted on by Gertie

Sunday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning Walk
  • Read
  • Color
  • Work on a recovery workbook

Monday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning Walk
  • Go to Emerald House (a mental health club house)
  • Read
  • Color
  • Work on recovery workbooks

Tuesday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • OBGYN appointment
  • Lunch with Junior and mutual friends
  • Read
  • Color
  • Work on recovery workbooks

Wednesday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning walk
  • Emerald House virtual group
  • Read
  • Color
  • Work on recovery workbooks
  • 12 Step virtual meeting

Thursday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning Walk
  • Emerald House virtual group
  • Read
  • Color
  • Work on recovery workbooks
  • Dinner with friends and Junior

Friday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the Calm App
  • Morning Walk
  • Go to Emerald House (a mental health club house)
  • Virtual appointment with therapist
  • Read
  • Color
  • Work on recovery workbooks
  • Movies and dinner with friends

Saturday

  • Mindfulness meditation through the calm app
  • Morning walk
  • University District Farmers Market with friends
  • Read
  • Color
  • Work on recovery workbook
  • Dinner with best friend