Please take the time to read this powerful and vulnerable testimonial from a 17 year old girl client of mine about depression. You won’t regret taking the time. It might save you or someone you love. Saige is one of my heroines. I truly look up to her bravery and admire her way with words

“in the beginning I didn’t want to share my life with a stranger so I was hoping the sessions would go by fast. My trust changed from any old thing to an emergency line to you. I knew it could be a constant partnership unlike what I’ve had before. And soon enough I was

willingly sharing information I thought I would keep a secret forever.”

“At first absolutely didn’t want anyone in on MY life that I was trying to struggle through. My mom just barely found out and she was already signing me up for coaching. I had felt like I was a complete failure when she signed me up. I was depressed and suicidal. I also was cutting my wrist so much I covered it with my watch 24/7 so nobody could see. I don’t know what I was planning to get out of the experience mostly because

I didn’t want to be a part of it, but I tried it anyway.”

“But a few days after I started I knew I could continue.

A life coach is a friend that can give you their experience and their love. Trying coaching depends on how badly you want to change because unless you act, words won’t change anything. Your success depends on you and not the coach. Your coach can cheer you on if you don’t want many people at the race, and they will be there no matter how long or hard it is because a coach is a friend. “

“When I was badly depressed and suicidal, everyone thought an uplifting quote was going to make me get my life back in order. They wanted to tell me how strong I am and smart, pretty; everything. But none of that was going to change, because depression didn’t make me weak it can’t make me dumb, or ugly; nothing. Depression made me want to be dumb, or be weak, because then I would have something to be sad for instead of

holding myself up on the outside just to let it crumble on the inside.”

“Now obviously that isn’t it for everyone. And I am not everyone so I can’t define how they would feel or describe it. Some people don’t mind their depression because it doesn’t rule their mind. The people who have depression ruling their mind didn’t put depression up in a higher rank, no. Depression fought to be there, just as hard as we are working to try and dethrone them. It’s just that some of us need to work on our skills as warriors and soldiers.”

“To me depression is like having constant mirages and in the desert for days on end. I’m losing nutrition and getting hungry and thirsty. The trick is that it is covering the real treasure. The mirage would be of plentiful baskets of fruit and water, exactly what my nutrient deprived body needs. Whenever I would try to reach for an apple it was a grenade. Whenever I would try to reach for carrots they were knives. Whenever I would try to take a sip of fresh pure water, it was poison. What I didn’t see was God’s juicy apples and clean carrots and chalices full of water right behind it. The only problem was I wanted the relief right there and then. So I didn’t try to look for the other things. My coach helped me search just a little longer to get what will really fill me up.”

“I was afraid that I would have been told that I was making up my own problems. I didn’t have any reason to be depressed, suicidal, anxious, Any of it. I didn’t have a reason so I wanted to be told that something was wrong with me, but through the sessions I learned nothing was wrong with me, it is just the chemicals are a bit off. But mainly

I didn’t want to be told that I was a fake and all the suicide attempts were just for attention.”

“I was never afraid of fitting in a session. I was always given relaxation through them and I was comforted that I am not the only one.

It changed me.

I can feel more things now and learn to appreciate them. I still like to take my time and use all the tools I was given and remind myself of all the affirmations I was told in coaching.

Sometimes when the walls are dark and numbers on the clock are the brightest thing in the room and the curtains block out the distractions of the outside world, I still let my mind explore because now I’m not afraid to let it. Now I can build my path in the dark with the tools I have to create my own light to shed on others who may need some. Because Jeffery R. Holland says that “nobody can fall lower than the light we are given”

“I have days where I need to take a break and let the emotions come out and feel and experience them, and now I don’t let them bottle up and be shoved down. I am able to take it one emotion at a time and feel through things. I’m not as afraid to feel emotions like I was before. Before I didn’t allow myself to feel anything and I didn’t know why.

I know what to do when I need to now.”

“Yes, I do believe the sessions were really good for me. The most valuable thing to me was when

you asked me if I knew my Heavenly Parents love for me.

Once you asked I didn’t really know if I did, but then I felt the comfort of the Holy Ghost and you even asked me if I had felt that. I know that what I said was what my Heavenly Parents wanted me to hear and especially with you, someone that I have grown to trust and admire. What I said was them talking and telling me their love from Them because at that time I didn’t have much self love.

I will cherish that moment with you in my heart.” – Saige (17)