I never thought I’d become a counsellor.
Honestly, I didn’t even know that psychology or counselling would be a part of my story. And yet here I am offering support and therapy to people carrying their own traumas while holding space for mine.
What most people don’t realize is that even a healer needs healing.
The Truth I Wasn’t Prepared For
I had unresolved wounds; hidden traumas from a troubled childhood, from people taking advantage of my goodness, and from silent pain I never allowed myself to acknowledge. That silence, the kind where you carry something for years without naming it, is something We Don’t Talk About Functional Burnout Enough explores from a different angle. Not the dramatic breaking point, but the slow, quiet erosion that happens long before anyone notices.
But what broke me the most wasn’t just the emotional burden. It was my health. It was physical pain.
In mid-2021, I was diagnosed with an early-stage ovarian cancer.
Thankfully, I’m cancer-free now, but the process wasn’t easy. I underwent an unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and while it removed the cancer, it left behind a storm of complications. My physical body started crumbling.
Pain Has Layers
Post-surgery, my health spiraled and I developed:
Endometriosis
Adenomyosis
Hormonal imbalance
High prolactin and thyroid levels
Nerve and muscle pain
Back and cervical pain
And yet, what people often say is:
“If you’re mentally strong, you can handle anything.”
I tried to be strong mentally, emotionally, and financially.
But when physical pain strikes and drains you completely even the strongest spirit can shatter.
Being the strong one, whether by choice or by circumstance, carries a cost that most people never see. What It Takes To Be the Strong One Everywhere sits with that invisible weight, the exhaustion of holding everything together while no one asks how you are doing.
And so I did too. I broke. Piece by piece.
Even picking up the smallest shard of myself felt like holding glass that cuts deeper each time.
Even a Psychologist Needs Therapy
Yes, I’m a counsellor.
But that doesn’t make me invincible.
Yes, I understand the human mind.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t need help too.
I had to remind myself and others that being a healer doesn’t mean I stop being human.
I forgot that I, too, have emotions.
I, too, need boundaries.
I, too, need care.
Remembering that you are allowed to need care is something that does not come easily, especially when your role has always been to give it. Being Kind Does Not Mean Being Available speaks to this, how giving endlessly without receiving quietly becomes its own kind of harm.
Somewhere in the journey of helping others, I forgot that my emotions needed tending to as well.
From Darkness to Discovery
Despite the chaos from my parents’ failing marriage, death to strained sibling, cousin or in general relationships, to financial stress; I discovered something else:
…my professional journey was guiding my personal growth and I’ve learned to respect every chapter of my journey.
Some of those chapters involve letting go of people and connections that no longer serve your growth. Why You Outgrow People Who Once Felt Like Home reflects on how that grief and that release can coexist, and how growth sometimes means walking away from what once felt safe.
In the darkest moments, I had thoughts I never imagined I would. But somewhere, deep inside, the lively, smiling girl in me still lived. She just needed to be seen again.
And I’ve come to realize that even when I wanted to give up, that strong girl inside me never left. She was just waiting for me to come back home.
Where I Am Today
No, I didn’t choose this profession. It chose me.
And now, I can’t imagine undoing it.
All I wish now is to:
Offer help,
Offer hope, and
Offer healing
To whoever needs it.
Through my website, I provide:
–Various Counselling and Therapeutic Sessions
–Various Educational and Coaching Courses
And so many more services, all available worldwide.
You’re welcome to book your sessions, accordingly.
The journey that brought me here also taught me what it feels like to need support and not know where to begin. If you are at that point, How Aloe Vera Supported My Skin And Hair is a smaller, quieter reflection on how I started caring for myself again during that time, one simple step at a time.
Final Thoughts
And lastly, I’m simply grateful. To God. To the Universe. To Allah.
For holding me when I couldn’t hold myself.
If I’m still alive, I owe it to life to make it beautiful not just for me, but for those around me.
Until next time, Farha
You Might Also Find These Reflections Helpful:
- We Don’t Talk About Functional Burnout Enough – On the slow, quiet erosion that happens before the breaking point
- What It Takes To Be the Strong One Everywhere – On the invisible weight of holding everything together
- Not Just Hormones, Not Just Healing – On listening to what your body is telling you during times of change
- How Aloe Vera Supported My Skin And Hair – On the small, gentle steps that supported my recovery
- When Silence Is Chosen, Not Avoided – On the peace that comes from finally giving yourself permission to stop
On Healers, Healing, and the Courage to Ask for Help
Do therapists and counsellors also need therapy themselves?
Yes. Knowing how to help others does not make you immune to your own pain. In fact, professionals who work with trauma and emotion every day may also carry their own unprocessed experiences. This is completely normal, because they are human beings first, and professionals later. Seeking therapy as a therapist is not a contradiction. It is one of the most responsible things a healer can do.
Can physical illness cause emotional or mental health struggles?
Absolutely. The body and the mind are not separate systems. When the body is in pain, under stress from surgery, medication, or chronic conditions, the emotional and psychological impact is significant. Grief, anxiety, feelings of helplessness, and a sense of identity loss can all accompany serious physical health challenges.
Is it normal to have dark thoughts during a serious health crisis?
Yes, and it does not make you weak or broken. When your body, your relationships, and your sense of self are all under strain at the same time, the mind looks for an exit from the pain. Having those thoughts does not define you. What matters is that you do not carry them alone. Support exists, and reaching out for it is an act of strength.
How do I know if I need therapy or counselling?
You do not need to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. If you are carrying something quietly, if you feel stuck, if something from your past keeps resurfacing, or if you simply feel like you need a space where someone listens without judgement, that is reason enough. You do not need to wait until things feel unbearable.
