By Matthew
Like many people, I grew up believing I had a happy life. My family loved me, our needs were met, and I felt relatively safe. But the truth is—when life throws something painful or traumatic our way, most of us don’t pause to process it. We survive. We keep going. We tell ourselves, “It’s not that bad,” and push forward.
But trauma doesn’t stay buried forever. It bubbles up in ways we don’t always expect—through patterns, behaviors, and choices that stop serving us. That was my story. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that I’m not alone in this experience.
Without going into detail, I will say that I endured both major and minor traumas throughout my childhood. I didn’t talk about it. I didn’t even acknowledge it. I just kept moving. But over time, the weight of that unprocessed pain led me down a path of substance abuse. What began as a way to numb became something that took over my life. I lost friends. I lost the trust of my family. I lost myself.
And yet—healing found a way in.
While working in the restaurant industry, I had a regular customer who always sat in my section on Sundays. Over time, we got to know each other. She was in school for clinical mental health counseling, and one day—when she became licensed—she handed me her business card and said, “Come see me.” That one gesture changed the course of my life.
What followed was a five-year counseling journey full of ups and downs. But it led me to sobriety. More than that, it led me back to myself. Through therapy, I finally had the space and support to face my trauma, name it, and begin healing. Counseling taught me how to live life on life’s terms. It gave me tools to manage my emotions, to rebuild relationships, and to step into a healthier future.
Today, I’m proud to say I’m living my best life—not because everything is perfect, but because I have the tools to meet life with resilience, honesty, and hope.
That’s what counseling did for me. And that’s why I became a counselor. I want to help others experience the same transformation I did—to walk with them as they find their way through the pain and into the light.
Thank you for reading.
– Matthew
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