One of the toughest questions I’ve been asked in therapy was:
“How do you need people to show up for you?”
There have only been very few moments in my life where I’ve been lost for words and that probably lands in one of the top 3 moments. I truly did not have all the answers. I named a few things that I thought were “reasonable” and / or essential but my therapist pressed in more and said, “I didn’t ask what you thought was acceptable. I asked how you want people to show up for you.”
Prior to therapy, I was aware of some unhealthy habits I had picked up from my mother. I watched my mother on multiple occasions do so much for our family, so much for me growing up and so much for her frien...