Drue Klingenberg is a high school senior who started to receive therapy in seventh grade. Her experiences motivated her to become a mental health advocate, and she is currently working on a project aiming to help the LGBTQ+ community. The path to gaining recovery is long, but Drue has become a strong believer that, mental health matters.
When was your first time hearing about therapy and why did you decide to go to therapy?
My first time hearing about therapy was in 7th grade. I went to my school counselor and told her how I felt. She told me that it could possibly be depression, and told me to tell my parents about getting a therapist.
What is your experience with therapy?
I go to therapy sessions weekly, and it has been about five years. I have had four different therapists, and I was trying to find the therapist that best suits me throughout the years. I often paint with my current therapist. One time I told her that I wanted to go to the play therapy room, and so we went in there and we made friendship bracelets there. I made one and she made one and then we exchanged.
How did therapy change you?
It gave me coping skills, and so when I talked to my therapist, she asked how I’ve been using them. Therapy really helped me to gain more self-confidence and coping skills, and I am becoming a better version of myself. To me, recovery means not having to go to therapy as often or having therapy just as a check-in for my mental health.
What is your perspective on mental health? When and why did you realize that mental health is important?
I am a big advocate for mental health and mental health awareness. A lot of people don’t understand and so they judge people, so I’m trying to get people to understand that mental health is important. I realized that this is important when it was getting in the way of my life, when I wasn’t able to do the things that I normally would be able to do, and when I tried to kill myself - that’s when I learned that mental health is important. I guess if I didn’t have issues with mental health or started to go to therapy I might be less knowledgeable than I am right now, and I also wouldn’t understand the complicated nature and the importance of mental health.
What advice would you give to people who struggle with mental health?
I would tell them that they are not alone, and that there is always someone that cares, whether they know it or realize it or not, there’s someone who cares. It is really scary to reach out, but you need to reach out for help before it’s too late.
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