Dear Earth Angel:

I am glad you are attending therapy and hope you keep attending it. Your therapist reads capable to me, and helpful to you. I am very pleased about that.

Your questions for me:

1. “What are good ways to release tension and ground myself when exposed to negativity?”- remove yourself from negative situations, first. Take a walk outside, exercise otherwise, visualize a calm place and take deep, slow breaths as you picture yourself being there, hold something in your hands and focus on the sense of touch, how the item feels in your hands.

2. “How do I stop myself from picking up the negative energies of others who try to dump it on me?” – remove yourself from the presence of such people as soon as possible, move away and move on from people and situations that distress you.

3. “How do I stop acquiring more stereotypes about who I should be?”- you mean there are more stereotypes that you don’t know about by now?

When you hear something that is not true, a stereotype or otherwise, replace that idea with something true. For example, in the past, you expressed a stereotype voiced by your parents, that girls cannot be scientists. Repeat to yourself: there are plenty of women who are scientists.

4. “How do I shield myself and my fragile self-esteem from being hurt?”- by removing yourself from people and situations where you get hurt or are likely to get hurt.

* I like what your therapist told you (your last line, above): “life is meant to be lived and not following the expectations of others”.

anita