Mary Walseth, LPC "Mental Health Makeovers" 210-452-6416 mwalseth@satx.rr.com Counseling for Individuals in Greater San Antonio, Live Oak, Universal City, Converse, and Schertz, TX
I
come from a dysfunctional family with two alcoholic parents. I was the scapegoat
for my mother’s misery and the only one of us kids who was beaten and publicly
humiliated by her regularly.
When
I grew up I went out into the world with no self-esteem, no idea of how to have
healthy relationships, and no idea how to deal with my emotions. If I made
mistakes I absorbed any criticism I got from anybody, thinking it proved they were right and I was a "wrong person." I didn't know how not to do that!
I was so confused in the world that I followed my
parents’ example and began self-medicating with alcohol. In the 12 years I resorted to drinking things only got much,
much worse. I made many unhealthy choices and several attempts at taking my life. I truly believed nobody
cared because I didn't care about me.
Negative thinking was my co-pilot,
and I got my self-fulfilling prophecy of unhappiness in full measure because I
believed I could never be happy. I attracted many life difficulties based on that thinking. I had a lot to learn. The student was ready and the teacher appeared...
With the help of AA and regular counseling I
learned that I had to take other people’s opinions of me out of the equation in order to
learn to love myself and become who I really am. With these supports, I began to take charge of my life for
the first time in my life. When I didn't believe I could love me, I trusted the process. It worked. I forgave my parents, but most of all I forgave myself.
Once sober, I went to
college to study behavioral science. Twenty years after earning my BS, and after 25 years of sobriety, I went to
graduate school for my Master's degree. I knew that the profession of counseling offered me a
perfect way of paying back what I have received from those who never failed to throw me a lifeline. It's never too late!
Working with others to find
their own truth is what gives me joy today.
A counselor is kind of like a lighthouse. The client is the ship on the stormy sea, finding his or
her way through the black night to a safe harbor. A counselor can guide you to safety and happiness if that is your goal (and
you probably wouldn’t be reading this if it wasn’t!).
All
my clients receive my unconditional, non-judgmental regard and attention. It does not matter what brings
them to counseling. We begin at where you are now. And remember: I have respect for you even if you don’t have it for
yourself. Your healing is the most important thing in the world
to me.
Don’t define who you are by the problems you have. I am here to
help you discover the beautiful, if dormant, happy good person who has always been
there inside of you!
This is Twyla, my Therapy Dog
Copyright 2013 by Mary Walseth LPC All Rights Reserved