Thanks!
There are a couple of things that are important to me.
- I try to avoid giving advice in the “Do this…” or “Do that…” sense. We don’t have the intimate knowledge of what’s going on for a given person and what their environment is like. But, also important is ownership as it can leave us open to: “I did what you said and now everything is all screwed up! It’s all your fault!”. That’s something that I learned with my kids decades ago and is clearly something to be avoided.
- The vast majority of us here will openly talk about our experiences; positive ones as well as negative ones. However, we should think of them as data points rather than a road map. We really need to apply conscious thought to our circumstances and how best to move forward. A therapist can be a valuable ally in this because they operate outside of our own fears and worry. They can help us to see things that we might miss or discount.
Regarding my own coming out process, I confess that sometimes the idea of “Go Big or Go Home” has a particular appeal. I can’t say why, but that’s how it is…
