Losing Herself
Missy, a college sophomore, had been feeling stuck for months. After a breakup and a series of academic setbacks, she found herself withdrawing from friends, skipping classes, and struggling to get out of bed. "I don't even know who I am anymore," she told the counselor at the campus mental health center.
The counselor diagnosed Missy with moderate depression and explained that there were several evidence-based therapies that could help. Missy was surprised. "I thought therapy was just talking about your feelings," she said. "How do I know what kind will actually work?"
To help Missy decide, the counselor shared information from a recent study comparing the effectiveness of different psychotherapies. Missy learned that while all the therapies studied—such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), nondirective therapy, and others—were more effective than no treatment, some worked better for certain people.
Missy chose to begin with nondirective therapy. In their sessions, the therapist didn't offer advice or suggest specific actions. Instead, they created a space where Missy could explore her thoughts and emotions freely. Through open-ended questions and gentle reflection, Missy began to uncover the feelings of loss and self-doubt that had been weighing her down. "I didn't realize how much I was holding in," she said. "Just having someone listen without judgment helped me start making sense of it all."
Later, Missy added elements of CBT to address her self-critical thoughts. "It's not one-size-fits-all," she reflected. "Different tools helped at different times."
