The quiet, unshakable moment when you realize you can’t keep pretending everything is fine.

There wasn’t one big breakdown that sent me to therapy just a slow unraveling that I could no longer ignore. The exhaustion was subtle at first. A sigh between sessions, a heaviness that lingered even after helping others find light in their own stories. It wasn’t dramatic; it was quiet. And sometimes, quiet pain is the easiest to overlook especially when you’re the one others turn to for guidance.

As a therapist, I ask my clients all the time: “Why now?” Why this moment? Why today? What finally made you reach for help instead of holding it all in again? Their answers vary a fight, a loss, an emotional fatigue that hit harder than usual but the truth behind it is always the same: something inside them finally whispered, enough.

I remember asking myself that same question one afternoon. Why now? I had helped so many people navigate anxiety, grief, boundaries, trauma and yet there I was, emotionally limping through my own healing. That question stripped away every excuse I’d built around being “fine.” Because the truth was, I wasn’t. I was functioning, yes, but I wasn’t flourishing.

Therapy for therapists isn’t optional it’s essential. We sit in people’s stories every day, hold their pain, celebrate their growth, absorb their energy. Without our own space to process, to release, to be human we risk losing the empathy and clarity that make us effective in the first place. Therapy became the mirror I didn’t know I needed and one that reflected not just my compassion for others, but the parts of myself I’d neglected in the process.

The moment I realized I needed therapy wasn’t about breaking down. It was about waking up. It was about recognizing that healing isn’t a luxury reserved for clients it’s a responsibility for anyone who helps others heal. So if you’re reading this and you’ve been waiting for the “right time,” maybe ask yourself the same question I ask my clients: Why now? And maybe, just maybe, the answer is because it’s time.

Meet Vandi

 Vandi Nall is a counselor, wife, mom, and coffee enthusiast who believes in keeping it real especially when life gets messy. She helps people untangle their emotions, rebuild connection, and find a little humor along the way. Whether she’s counseling students, working with couples, or sharing insights online, Vandi’s goal is always the same: to remind people that healing doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be honest.