Why Showing Up as a Human in the Therapy Room Matters

When people think about therapy, they often picture a cold clinical space—Freud with a notepad, a client on a couch, and an air of detachment. But real therapy is so much more than that. It's a human-to-human connection. As therapists, we bring training, tools, and techniques—but more importantly, we bring ourselves. I believe deeply in showing up as a human first. Imperfect, vulnerable, real.

I recently had the opportunity to share my story on the Money Nuts & Bolts podcast with Linzy Bonham. I spoke about my experience immigrating to Canada, the struggles my family faced with survival jobs, and the weight of financial uncertainty. My money mindset was shaped in those early years—and it still informs how I view the world and my work today.

In that conversation, I let myself be vulnerable. I talked about the idea of foreboding joy—that feeling when joy feels too risky—and how I carry those lessons into my therapy sessions. Not as something to hide, but as something to connect with. Because healing isn’t linear, and growth is rarely neat. We’re all figuring it out—myself included.

Coming from a marginalized background, having experienced poverty, trauma, and the challenges of being “othered,” I’ve learned to see these parts of my story not as something to overcome—but as gifts that shape how I hold space for others. They’ve helped me show up with compassion and depth, especially for those who often feel unseen in traditional therapeutic spaces.

People deserve to feel seen and heard—not just by professionals with credentials, but by those who reflect their realities. Therapy shouldn’t only look like Freud. It should also look like the people sitting across from us—those with shared lived experiences and an understanding that can’t be taught in textbooks.

To me, showing up authentically means embracing our full humanity. It’s about being real, grounded, and present. And it’s in that authenticity where the real healing begins.