Ask A Therapist
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Ask A Therapist
Sleep Paralysis (Ep. 30)
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What happens when an experience feels both deeply physical and deeply spiritual?
This week, we respond to a listener who has struggled with sleep paralysis for years. While they understand the scientific explanations behind sleep paralysis, part of them still wonders if there's a spiritual dimension to what they're experiencing.
It's a question many people quietly wrestle with: Can something be explained neurologically and still carry personal, emotional, or spiritual meaning?
In this conversation, we explore the fascinating science of sleep paralysis, why these experiences can feel so terrifyingly real, and how different cultures throughout history have interpreted them. We also discuss the overlap between faith, psychology, and meaning-making, and whether therapy can help even when someone holds spiritual beliefs about their experiences.
Most importantly, we talk about how fear surrounding sleep paralysis can begin affecting daily life—and why support, understanding, and treatment don't require abandoning your faith or worldview.
Have a question? Email us at info@askatherapistpod.com, use the link below, or DM us on IG or TikTok at @askatherapist_pod
Find Kenzie at therapy-with-kenzie.com or @therapywithkenzie
Find Carli at carlikingtherapy.com or @carlikinglmft
Hello and welcome. I'm Kenzie. And I'm Carly. And this is Ask a Therapist.
SPEAKER_01Each week we explore life's most relatable questions, from relationships and boundaries to burnout and self-worth, all through a therapist lens.
SPEAKER_00We're licensed therapists, but this isn't therapy. It's a place for insight, reflection, and a little humor along the way. Your questions, our insights, ask a therapist.
SPEAKER_01This podcast is intended for entertainment and educational purposes only. The content shared should not be considered a substitute for professional mental health care, diagnosis, or treatment. We strongly encourage listeners to seek help from a licensed mental health professional for any personal or psychological concerns.
SPEAKER_00Any advice or commentary offered is based solely on the information provided. As such, we cannot guarantee any specific outcomes, and the feedback given should not be interpreted as professional mental health advice. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call 911-988 or 211.
SPEAKER_01Hi everybody, welcome back. This is Ask a Therapist on episode 30. This is the last episode of our third season, which is very exciting. This week we have a letter from a listener who's experiencing sleep paralysis and also navigating a little bit of their spirituality in regards to the sleep paralysis. So this is something that we are excited to get into. We do want to share a quick reminder that while our questions are specific to listener submissions, the insight and responses we share are meant to be supportive and applicable to anyone who may be listening. We are excited to explore this with you all. So let's get started. Carly, how are you feeling about this being us wrapping up season three, this being our 30th episode?
SPEAKER_00I know. It feels a little surreal, like the fact that it went from this idea that we were talking about like almost a year ago. It's been almost a year since um you initiated the conversation for us to even like start forming this into something. And I'm so proud of us. I'm so glad that we just did it. I am not usually one to like jump out of my comfort zone and try something like this. I know I had a lot of reservations, but I kind of said yes before I thought fully through it. And I'm glad that I did. I think I might have said that to you. I was like, I'm in a space right now where I'm open to things. And so I'm, I want to say yes. I'm gonna think about it, but like I want to say yes. And I'm just I'm glad that we've made it here. I love that we make little changes every season, and it feels like we're like learning from the process and then making small changes, but not like overloading ourselves in a way that it's not sustainable. And so I really feel good about the way that we're doing it because it's something that I'm still excited to do and I look forward to coming back for season four.
SPEAKER_01So what about you? Yeah, no, I I love that. I'm so proud of us too. Like, and and saying this is our 30th episode out loud was kind of like, whoa, like that's a lot. Like, we, you know, I know that that's like so small compared to people who've done like hundreds of episodes, but the fact that we've gotten through 30 feels like such a big accomplishment and that it is still like so exciting, and it still feels like we're so new into it and kind of like we're still. I mean, there's so many like learning curves and things that we're figuring out and how to make it work. And but I feel like I've learned so much. I feel like I'm a better therapist because of it because I like take a lot of what we're talking about and kind of like apply it into sessions and I, you know, I think about things differently. So I loved working with you, Carly, learning from you and just kind of like this space that we have. Like it's it's definitely work and it's a learning curve, but it's fun. And it also is just kind of like a cool, like creative way to do something different in our field. So I feel really proud of it.
SPEAKER_00Agreed. Agreed 100%. I feel like I learn a lot as well. And um, it's good to like do work that then serves you in your normal work, if that makes sense. So the fact that yeah, it's work. Sometimes I'm researching things or having to learn about something that I'm not as knowledgeable about, like today's topic. Yeah. But again, I feel like that serves me on the day-to-day. So it feels like hitting two birds with one stone, or I don't know why we're hitting birds with stones, but like, you know. But it feels like productive.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yes, yes. No, I agree. Absolutely. Well, um, yeah, us. Excited for season four. Thank you to everybody who's been so supportive so far. And, you know, I'm excited for whatever, like, you know, Carly and I usually meet in between these episodes, and they're like, okay, what are we thinking? Like, what do we want to do? What's working, what isn't? So I'm kind of excited to see where we go in season four.
SPEAKER_00Same, same, same, same. And please continue to submit your questions because that's essentially what makes the show. So we so appreciate everyone that's just been so forthcoming and generous in you know, providing us with content to be able to use.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. Should we jump into our question? Let's jump into it. If you've been feeling anxious, overwhelmed, stuck in unhealthy patterns, or just exhausted, trying to hold everything together, therapy can help. I'm Kenzie at Therapy with Kenzie, and I offer virtual therapy sessions for individuals trying to navigate anxiety, relationships, life transitions, self-esteem, and more in a space that feels supportive, down-to-earth, and judgment-free. You don't have to figure everything out alone. Visit www.therapy-with-Kenzie. That's k-e-n-z-i-e.com to learn more and book a free consultation.
SPEAKER_00All right, let's jump into our question. It says, hey guys, I feel like I'm taking a risk in writing this because I honestly don't know if I'm dealing with something psychological, spiritual, or some combination of both. For the past several years, I've experienced pretty intense sleep paralysis. It usually happens when I'm stressed or my sleep schedule is off, but sometimes it feels completely random. I wake up and realize I can't move, and almost every time I get the overwhelming sense that something is in the room with me. Sometimes I hear whispers, footsteps, or what sounds like someone breathing nearby. I know sleep paralysis is a real medical phenomenon, and I've read a lot about the science behind it. Part of me wants to believe that's all this is. But another part of me questions if there's a spiritual component to it. It's hard to explain unless you've experienced it. I consider myself a spiritual person. I grew up in church and have always had a deep connection with God. Years ago, I mentioned these episodes to a spiritual mentor, and they told me I was in spiritual warfare and proceeded to pray over me. I felt cared for and protected at the time. But it's left me with a sense that there's a deeper meaning to all of this, and I'm not sure what to make of the fact that it continues to happen. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on where the psychological and spiritual overlap and if you think therapy can help. It's becoming emotionally exhausting, and my anxiety around sleep keeps increasing, which is starting to affect my daily life. More specifically, can therapy help even if part of me believes there could be a spiritual component to what I'm experiencing? Have either of you ever worked with clients who deal with sleep paralysis? And if so, what have you found to be most effective? Thanks for reading. I feel like our listener really gave us um I had to go to work for this one, Kenzie, but I don't know. What did you think about this one?
SPEAKER_01No, I actually was gonna say the same exact thing. This was one, I so appreciate the vulnerability of this question. And I also can hear a little bit of the like uh back and forth of like, do I send this? Do I do I not? Is this gonna be helpful? Is it not? And also probably the exhaustion of having to navigate this and feeling like it it's not getting any better. But to their question of like, have you worked with anybody with this? I haven't. And so I have had to, you know, when we got this question and we decided to use this question, had to do a lot of research on it. And so I will say, um, you know, coming coming from the fact that like I haven't necessarily worked with individuals with this, I haven't experienced this. So this is gonna be a little bit like trying to take uh the tools and and some of the information and and education that I have and apply it to this. Um but hopefully this will be, you know, helpful. Hopefully there'll be something in this that can be um useful to this listener. Um I just want to validate that one, like, yeah, this this is like a medical phenomenon. This is something that people describe like exactly what you are saying, people experience and um this has happened to you, and it it probably is very scary in in some ways and also kind of like creates a lot of anxiety around sleep, which is really difficult. Um, you know, sleep is such an important foundation in our lives, and to feel like this is something that you're almost like dreading going into or feeling like I can't get restful sleep is is so difficult. So um, you know, I just want to acknowledge that. And I also really appreciate the spiritual element that was brought up in this question because I think that faith is can be such a protective factor for people. And I think that people sometimes do get worried about like, I want to, I want to trust in my faith. And and what does that mean if I'm going to therapy for this? Like, am I somehow neglecting this part of my life? Or is it, you know, if this is something spiritually that's going on, like, can therapy even really help with this? So I think that that was a another really good part of this question is just kind of bringing that to light and something that we can touch on because I think that's important. I think that there's a lot of people, maybe not not even necessarily that are experiencing sleep paralysis, but are experiencing kind of like I'm I'm maybe going through something difficult and feel like I should be able to just pray about this or just, you know, kind of go to church and like seeking additional help or going to therapy, maybe feels like I'm conflicting a little bit with like, am I leaning on my faith enough? So those are my initial thoughts. Carly, what are your thoughts?
SPEAKER_00Yes, I very similar reaction. My first thought was in looking at the last question of like, what's worked for people you've, you know, supported in the past. I've not had someone actively dealing with sleep paralysis. I've had people report that they had that issue maybe when they were younger, but not a client that's currently dealing with it. I've also had some clients who are partnered with people who have different types of sleep issues, like sleep walking and things like that, but not they themselves. So it did, I, you know, I definitely had to do a little bit of my own research, but where I feel maybe a little more in my lane is on the spiritual side because I did grow up in a very like spiritual environment and grew up in church. And so even the the listeners' description of how it was addressed by their spiritual mentor is something that like I could absolutely see happening. Like, you know, that that felt very familiar. And I think to the point that you're making, this is something that a lot of people struggle with and maybe even land in different places with like what makes them most comfortable in terms of like how much of this is spiritual, how much is psychological, how much can actually be addressed in therapy, and how much should I be relying more so on spiritual concepts and strategies to address. Um, and I don't think there's a one size fits all for everyone when it comes to that question. But I do think that what we believe has a huge impact on our experiences, how we interpret things, even what options we believe are available to us. So I don't think it's insignificant or that we can dismiss the spiritual element or the even your belief system around that. And I don't know that we can have an objective for sure certain answer about that of like it's 47% spiritual and this, you know, like we may not actually get that breakdown, but what you believe about it certainly impacts how you feel about it and how you go about addressing it. So I like to deal in people's beliefs, whether I share them or not, because regardless, it's the reality that you're living in. So I kind of feel like it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks about it. If you believe that, then we need to like look at that, address that, and incorporate that into the approach because it's a part of the reality you're experiencing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm so happy you said that too, because that's something that I was gonna say to this listener is it doesn't have to be a like one or the other. You can go to therapy and incorporate, like you can bring your faith into the room. You can, you know, and a good therapist will be able to meet you with that and help you process it through a faith-based, like, you know, you can seek out a faith-based counselor if that makes you more comfortable. But, you know, your therapist should be able to hold that, downplay that, not neglect that, but but really make it a part of the experience that you're going through. And I also think that it's it's beneficial, you know, like it they can go hand in hand. You can have somebody that kind of helps you with, you know, in in with what you're experiencing. Some of this is a little bit of like a nervous system regulation. You're getting worried about this isn't getting better, like I'm feeling anxious before going to sleep. Some of these things a therapist really can help give you tools to to work with. But a part of those tools can be like prayer. They can be meditating, they can be kind of like, okay, what is your what is your view of this? What do you think maybe like this spiritual warfare looks like, or what do you think it's trying to say? Like that can be incorporated into the session to process through and to navigate through. And so it and, you know, I like what you said, Carly, too, about like it doesn't really matter what the percentage breakdown is. This is a this is what is happening, this is what's coming up for you, and something that you're wrestling with. And it's okay to bring it into a space where somebody is trained to like help you make sense of it, to help you organize it a little bit more and to offer some some support and some tools around like, okay, also what's happening in your body and and what are some things that could be helpful for like nighttime routines or CBT techniques or things like that to help with some of this sleep paralysis.
SPEAKER_00Agreed. Uh, I'm gonna quote, I believe it came from T. D. Jakes. I hope I'm not misquoting him, but he says, pray and take the medicine. And I I I go back to that often because it's a very simple way of saying it can be both and, you know, we don't have to negate the science and like the the that we have information about what this means and maybe what helps with that. And also, if, you know, like this listener said, when they were prayed for by their men, they felt some comfort from that. They felt some relief from that, they felt protected in that. And so, like, we can do both. You can go to therapy and also pray about it or incorporate elements of like your spiritual belief system into your coping um strategies. And so, you know, seeking out a faith-based counselor was one of the things that I was also going to recommend, if for no other reason, just to know that they will to a degree understand and respect your belief system and may have some knowledge of like the scriptures and the principles that you are referencing so that they can support you, you know, in like properly using those. But I agree, any therapist should be able to incorporate your belief system into the plan, whether they share that faith or not. Um and I and I want to give the listener credit. They said, I don't know how much of this is spiritual versus psychology. So they are leaving room for the idea that like I I kind of get the scientific side of it, but I feel like there's also this other piece to it. And so I do want to address the science of sleep paralysis just based on what we know. The listener said they've, you know, done a little bit of their own research, but in in what I'm learning about it is that it is considered a REM sleep phenomenon. And so some people are familiar with REM sleep. It's like the rapid eye movement, you know, part of your sleep. It's where there's a lot of like brain activity and essentially dreaming. We tend to dream when we're in a REM state. And without getting too complicated, part of what happens is our bodies naturally go into a bit of a paralysis and it's part of what keeps us from acting out our dreams. And so this was very fascinating to me because I don't know if anybody, I know other people can relate, but I don't know if you personally relate. But if you've ever tried to do something in your dream, like like punch or like run really fast, and it feels like you, like you put a lot of effort, but it's like so weak. It can like part of that is your body is almost like trying to do the thing, but you're in a paralysis like state. And so you don't fully do the action. And so some of that is natural, the fact that your body does that. But with sleep paralysis, your consciousness wakes up before your body actually comes out of that state. And so you recognize like you're aware, but you're not yet able to like have that movement. And so it's being, it's the fact that you're kind of in between sleep states that even creates that experience. And that's why even the things that the listener's describing, like sensing that there's something or someone around you, that's incredibly common because your brain is partially still dreaming, but partially awake and like aware of where you are. And to the point that they said, if it's not something that you've experienced, I can't relate to it personally. I've had it described to me. But if it's not something that you've experienced, it's hard to grasp just how real it feels. But I think most people can really relate to having a very vivid dream and you wake up and it's almost like even though you know it wasn't real, you're still having a hard time like getting your mind and emotions out of that state. And so just as real as dreams can feel sometimes when you wake up, I think it is a very similar experience. It feels incredibly real and incredibly scary to be conscious, but not have the control to be able to like move or or react to what's happening around you.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Yeah, yeah. You're like frozen. And it is, it's it is really scary. And so I think that a little bit of what this listener is talking about, and I think what some other people feel too, is it's almost kind of like you feel this fear and this anxiety around like, oh, is this gonna happen again? And because it is, there's so much of like, you know, it it being a nervous system, kind of at the a that aspect to it, it almost reinforces it. And so you just get into this really difficult cycle of kind of like, well, I'm anxious going to bed because I know that like if this happens, I feel this fear around it. And when my body is alert like that, it it's going to be harder. Like, I I may be more likely to experience this because of, you know, what's happening and and how my body is kind of like responding to per a perceived threat. And so I think something that I have found, Carly saw a lot of similarities in what we researched, but something that I kind of thought about in this is, you know, with anxiety, we kind of talk about like walking through certain things and and having the confidence of not like I'm never gonna feel anxious again, but having the confidence confidence of I know what to do if if this anxiety does come up. And so with the sleep paralysis, kind of like, okay, I am my body and my mind are responding to this as if it were a real threat. And if I can bring it down, if I can lessen that fear a little bit, I'm gonna have a little bit more control around being able to manage this experience. So if I'm able to kind of like slow it down, if I'm able to ground myself, like, okay, what what is just like one thing that I can feel? Like, can I feel the sheets beneath me? Can I kind of bring myself, try to bring myself a little bit to the present? But also before going to bed, I mean, there's I'm there's so many like CBT techniques that we can kind of get into. But before going to bed, like reminding yourself, I've gotten through every single episode of this before. This is really scary, but I'm not actually in danger. Calming your mind and your body down to be able to kind of navigate this a little bit better, it can be really helpful in just being able to manage it or feel like you have some more control over it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think that it it that makes a lot of sense, especially just from the perspective of the more you understand it, the more you understand even the patterns and things that trigger it. Like when I'm more stressed, this comes up. You know, of course it becomes kind of like a chicken or the egg type thing. You get stressed and then it happens, and then you're stressed about it happening, and it kind of like it, you know, you can get on this loop. But even just paying attention to I notice, like around the time, I don't know, of my cycle, or I notice when I'm preparing for something big, or like these are the times when it comes up, it can help you to then make plans and like put kind of like structures around that that just maybe lower the chances of it happening. Like maybe those are days that you do do some sort of de-stress activity or meditation before bed. Or maybe you find that like getting a little more activity before bed where your body maybe feels a little more tired, kind of helps you. So a lot of it I think is trial and error and like paying attention, like noticing the patterns so that you can start to recognize and anticipate the things that might trigger it and the things that help to soothe and calm. But I think one of the hardest parts about what you're saying is when you bring in the spiritual component, trying to ease the anxiety with I'm not actually in danger kind of becomes a challenge. Because what if you're under a spiritual attack, right? Where, like, yeah, maybe my actual body isn't like being threatened at this moment, but it can still feel very real. And on the spiritual side of things, it can feel like a manifestation of something that is very real. So I think even being able to counter that thought with like, I'm safe and I'm okay, can be a challenge. But again, that's where the faith and the spirituality can come in, especially if you have scriptures saying things that help to bring that comfort and help to kind of remind you of the tools that you have to counter this spiritual attack, if that makes sense.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, I'm I'm super happy that you brought that up. I think that's an excellent point. And, you know, it makes a lot of sense. I think I think that my first thought when you were saying that is like working, you know, working with somebody or being able to talk to somebody through this about like here, here's what it, here's what I'm feeling like is happening spiritually when this comes up. And so, you know, to your point of like it probably is pretty difficult to be like, okay, I'm safe, like things are things are okay right now. That might not be the full reality for what this person is experiencing. But but flipping that narrative, like still, still with the sense or the idea of having a little bit more control over it, like, okay, I recognize that this is what's coming up, this is what I feel in these moments, this is how I'm interpreting it. Now, what do I do? I am a spiritual person. I do lean in on my faith. How do I use that to be a grounding force for me in this experience? So I like that idea of having like scripture or things like that that you can pull, that you can pull from in those moments, because that still gives you an element of control over this. This is not something that is completely out of your control that you're just feeling and it's happening to you, and there's this like hidden message. Even if there is, you still can have tools to feel like, okay, I have the confidence to know how to navigate this situation, even if it does feel very like scary, or maybe I do feel like I'm in I'm in danger in this moment.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. 100%. I mean, because that can mean even researching from a spiritual aspect, what am I supposed to counter these attacks with when they come? Like, what does your faith say about what do you do in those moments? Right. And using that, whether that's quoting a scripture, whether that's a prayer that you say, whether that is a a concept that you kind of like research and learn more about or a story in the Bible that like kind of resonates with you, but actually seeking out like if this is what I'm suspecting it is, what answers are there within the faith that, you know, like I already have access to that might, you know, help me in in those moments? And so I think that that it is an important thing to incorporate along with like taking the medicine or going to therapy and potentially cleaning up some things around your sleep hygiene and paying attention to the patterns. It's like, let's do both from my perspective.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And I I, you know, I when you were talking about that, I was thinking about this story and uh, you know, to bringing it back to that. But, you know, there's that story that's kind of like the there's this flood happening and somebody comes by and they're like, hop in the car, like I'll take you. And they're like, No, no, God will save me. And then they're like, you know, in the house and a boat comes by and they're like, God's got me, and then they're on the roof and a helicopter comes, and like, God's got me, and then they get to heaven and they're like, What happened? They're like, I save you three people. Like, so there's a little bit, you know, sometimes something that I do like to think about is like, you know, God, God gives gifts to people and you know, puts puts people in your life, or puts people in certain professions, or puts people in uh certain areas that kind of like it or gives them certain talents or certain gifts to be able to to help navigate. Um and so I think that that could be a good way of thinking about it too, is like, you know, it's I think that when you have faith or you have that spirituality, like you you kind of believe that people are here to also like serve that purpose. And so going to somebody that you kind of feel like, okay, they they are uh they're they're part of God God's plan too. So I think that that is helpful. And I do, I did want to talk about too, I do have some um CBT techniques for like that nighttime routine that uh you were referencing because you know, the when we're talking about like the cycle that can happen, when you feel that fear, you're probably feeling some hypervigilance, which is difficult when trying to wind down and go to sleep and can be difficult on your nervous system around like actually getting good sleep and being able to stay asleep. And so I, you know, some things that came up when I was looking at this is thought checking, which is it's you can challenge some of the catastrophic thoughts that happen. So, you know, if I fall asleep, I'm gonna get sleep paralysis again, like kind of trying to to check that with like, okay, if I get sleep paralysis, I know what I'm gonna do. I have these scriptures or I have these things that I can draw on. So feeling a little bit of the confidence in that, taking some time before you fall asleep to like write down some of your fears. So like journaling for 10 minutes before you go to bed to kind of get some of those fears out so they're not just sitting in your head. And then like shifting from like reducing some of the like perfectionism around sleeping of like I have to like I must get to sleep. I'm I need to sleep all the way through to just slowing down a little bit. Like I'm still resting, even if I'm just laying here and like taking some of these deep breaths. It's okay that it's a little bit harder for me to fall asleep right now. And then, you know, some just helpful things for anybody in general, but like consistent sleep times, not scrolling before you go to bed, using your bedroom mainly for just sleeping, not like for doing other things, and then dimming your lights a couple hours before you go to sleep can all be like positive signs to your nervous system that sleep can be a safe or your bedroom can be like a safe place.
SPEAKER_00Yes, Kinsey, thank you for sharing those tips. I I know I referenced earlier like cleaning up your sleep hygiene and everything that you mentioned, like that's a part of what we would consider sleep hygiene. And sometimes it's very like simple, practical, you know, strategies, but they're effective and they help you to get a little bit better sleep, mindfulness practices. I like the idea of writing down the fears, but I also wonder if like that may also be a good time to write down those counters or those like scriptures that, you know, kind of like help you to have a response to some of those fears. One that comes to mind is like, I'm not given a spirit of fear. So like maybe that is something, or I'm protected or I'm covered or something along those lines to kind of like repeat that to yourself. Also, CBT is one of the like recommended ways, CBT for anxiety, to counter this, like or reduce, I should say, sleep paralysis. I also want to say though, sleep paralysis in and of itself is not necessarily considered like there, you're not, you're not crazy and there's not like something, you know, significantly psychologically wrong with you. For the most part, you can have like sleep paralysis and still be incredibly healthy. You know, our bodies have different ways of responding to stress, fear, anxiety. And this may just be one of the ways that it manifests for you. And so I also want to be cautious about just like overly pathologizing the fact that this happens because it is more normal than I think maybe people realize. But still, I mean, I recognize if it's causing you distress, like it's worth attention, but just kind of want to put it into context and say you can also be perfectly healthy and this still be something that you struggle with.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm glad that you said that too, because I think that they're probably, you know, especially if you're kind of like, you don't know anybody else that's experiencing this, or you know, and and it also does kind of sound like uh the pastor that this person worked with, kind of saying that this is spiritual warfare and praying over them was was super helpful in that moment, but it's also something that's stuck with them where they're trying to figure out like what does that mean? And so I think that that is is a good kind of like just counter reframe to think about too of like, yes, this does not mean that there's something like inherently wrong with you. This is this can just be how you, your body is navigating maybe some of this anxiety, worry, like, you know, it's it there's potential that there's like um maybe some past trauma that has happened to people that they, you know, want to like maybe haven't explored or haven't talked through, but that's obviously not always the case. Like this is just something that sometimes our bodies everybody's bodies respond differently to certain things. And so um, I think one thing about the body that's super cool is like it's gonna give you clues. And and I I love when people pay attention to them because you're helping yourself and more information and more support and more resources are never a bad thing. I think that it is just helping to kind of like get to where you want to be because I can't imagine that this is like, you know, something that's that I I would imagine that this is something that's really difficult to navigate.
SPEAKER_00For sure. For sure. Thank you to this listener for, you know, just the letter, the transparency in it. I recognize that there's a risk in kind of I mean, we're not stating their identity, but kind of like putting yourself out there and acknowledging I'm struggling with this and I don't know if it's spiritual or psychological, and people have a lot of judgments, you know, around their belief systems and things like that. So just the vulnerability to share it and ask the question, like, is therapy actually something that I should explore? I would say yes and explore, you know, spiritual components as well. But I appreciate the letter and even just the challenge to kind of like learn about something that I'm not as knowledgeable about. So um, I also welcome that for season four. Send us some hard questions, like not too hard, but like, you know, give us a challenge. We like it. I echo that a hundred percent. If you'd like to hear our thoughts on a topic that matters to you, email your question to infot askathherapistpod.com. We'd also like to hear your thoughts on today's topic. What resonated, what didn't, and what did we miss? If you have advice for our listener, please share it. You may just hear your feedback on a future episode. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at ask a therapist underscore pod. Emails and DMs are always welcome. Also, if you'd like to connect with me or Kenzie and learn more about the services we offer in our private practices, check the show notes for ways to reach us directly. With that, we're signing off for season three. Thanks for listening. Please do come back and remember, don't wing it, just ask a therapist.
SPEAKER_01That's it for today's episode. We hope it gave you something to reflect on, or maybe even that aha moment.
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