There are moments in life when you have problems that you'd like to share with someone who understands you, gives you good advice, or helps you get through those times without judgment. Friends, no matter how well-intentioned and caring they are, might not always be equipped to help in these situations. That's why it might be a good idea to share these issues with a specialist, a therapist.
In June, I was feeling down because I had just ended a relationship that was more challenging than pleasant. I also felt like I had communication and self-confidence issues both at work and within my family. One evening, while sharing with a very close friend what I had been through and trying to identify where I went wrong in that relationship, she suggested that I seek advice from a therapist. She convinced me by sharing her own experience and telling me that I lacked self-confidence and didn't know how to showcase my strengths. She guaranteed that after a few therapy sessions, I would be a different person.
Without second-guessing, I said, "If you don't call now to schedule an appointment, I might change my mind tomorrow!" So, as promised, three days later, I had a therapy session scheduled, and that's how I met Dumitru Burtescu Goby. On the agreed-upon day, I gathered my courage and headed to the studio for my therapy session with Goby. On the way, I kept thinking about how difficult it would be to lie down on a couch, look at the ceiling, and talk about my problems with a stranger, just as I had seen in
movies. To my surprise, when I arrived there, Goby told me that it wouldn't be the traditional procedure of sitting on a couch but that I could sit wherever I wanted and felt comfortable. After explaining why I had come (to regain self-confidence), Goby asked me to sit on a fitness ball, look at myself in the mirror, and tell him what I liked most about myself. After about five minutes of looking in the mirror, I told him that I hadn't found anything yet. That's when things got critical, and I burst into tears because I realized how few things I actually liked about myself. With a lot of calm and a warm voice, Goby managed to calm me down, offering a plethora of useful life advice. After a while, he even made me laugh, at which point he asked
me to look in the mirror again and tell him if I noticed any changes. Indeed, my face looked different; my eyes were smiling, although a hint of sadness still lingered. Seeing that I had recovered, he wanted us to do another exercise: he played music in the background and
asked me to try to return to the state of sadness I was in at the beginning. I think that's when the changes began, subtly, because I couldn't bring myself back to that initial sadness. I really wanted to be cheerful, radiate positivity, and try to learn to like myself. After a conversation that lasted about two hours, I had already made some decisions regarding the changes I needed to make in my life: I decided to lose about 20 kilograms, look at myself in the mirror every day and try to discover, appreciate, and learn to love myself. When I finished the first session, I left Goby with a different energy. I was radiating positivity,
and it showed. For the next two weeks, I was full of energy and smiles. My colleagues at work thought I had changed something every day: some said I had dyed my hair, others thought I had a new haircut, and some simply said they saw a change but couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. During this time, even my boss noticed the change and praised my positive attitude at work. I joined dance classes and got a gym membership. I was determined to reach my goal of losing 20 kilograms, but I didn't want to lose weight too quickly or only through restricting food, to avoid the yo-yo effect. I was also given a diet that had been successful for about 10 people, and I stoically started following it. I began analyzing myself in front of the mirror every
day to identify the features I liked about myself and found ways to highlight them. The second session was only two weeks later. Between the two sessions, I was mostly in a good mood, except for one day when I felt extremely depressed. I remembered then that Goby had told me that if I ever had a problem, I could call him at any time. So, I made a call around 11 PM, and when I heard Goby's warm voice, all my problems disappeared. I didn't tell him the reason for the call, but we talked about various things, like dance styles and the
history of certain dance styles. After this conversation, I regained my energy and positive state of mind. The second session began just like the first one: I sat in front of the mirror and looked at myself for about five minutes to identify what I liked about myself. This time, I looked at myself with different eyes; I was more confident, and I felt that I looked much better, especially since I had lost a few more kilograms. At that moment, Goby made a remark, suggesting that I would look even better without glasses because my eye color and shape would be more visible. After this step, we discussed the issues I was having at work, and he helped me identify why some of my colleagues were behaving that way towards me and offered possible solutions to combat this behavior. At the end of the session, he proposed that we
have the next two sessions outside the studio: one during a shopping trip and one at a beauty salon. True to his word, we scheduled a shopping day, and we set off. After a thorough search and with Goby's assistance, I realized which clothes would suit me best, how to mix and match items, and how to choose shoes that would accentuate my legs. It was a full day, and I didn't think Goby would have the patience to accompany me shopping, especially because I am
quite picky when it comes to clothes. Ultimately, Goby showed more patience during the shopping trip than even a close friend of mine would have. I felt extraordinary because all his attention was focused on me, and his advice was meant to teach me how to choose clothes that suited me. I believe that if I had gone shopping with a friend, no matter how well-intentioned, they wouldn't have given me 100% of their attention or provided me with as much valuable advice. The following week, we went to the beauty salon: I decided to make a radical change to my look. Considering that I went to a renowned stylist, I put myself in their hands completely. I
changed both my hairstyle and my makeup style. When I looked at myself in the mirror at the end, I had a setback: the change was so drastic that I wasn't prepared for it. At that moment, Goby was there, trying to calm me down and lift me up. It took me quite some time to get used to the new look, to rediscover myself, and find the strength to continue with therapy. The new look (hairstyle, makeup, and clothing) was highly appreciated by those around me. I
felt extraordinary being the center of attention and receiving compliments from everyone. With the change in appearance, I gained more confidence and courage. It was as if all my problems had disappeared; I got along well with everyone, and I felt
Comments