This approach also helped me realize how empowering it can be to shift the focus from self-criticism to self-reflection. By guiding someone to recognize their own reasons for change, rather than imposing them on them, motivational interviewing fosters a feeling of empowerment. I believe this technique is not only useful in therapeutic contexts, but also in everyday conversations, whether it's supporting a friend or even navigating our internal dialogue.

I also realized that the goal of art therapy is not to create something perfect, but to connect with our emotions in a different, more intuitive way. It gave me permission to express myself without judgment and to let go of the pressure to be “good” at it. Sometimes words are not enough to describe what we feel and, through colors, shapes or music, we can release emotions we didn't even know we were holding. This experience taught me that self-care can be creative and personal, and that even simple actions such as drawing while listening to music can have a great impact on our mental well-being.

Something similar happens to me with painting or drawing. I’ve always liked doing little doodles or painting when I feel overwhelmed, and it calms me down a lot. I didn’t really see it as therapy until now, but I realize that expressing what I feel through colors or just putting shapes on a paper actually helps me release emotions that I can’t explain with words. Sometimes I just sit with music and paint random things, and somehow that process makes me feel way lighter and more connected with myself.

Something that has helped me a lot with emotion regulation is learning to name what I feel and not judge it. Like instead of saying “I’m being dramatic,” I try to say “I feel frustrated right now” and that already changes how I experience it. I used to avoid talking about what I felt because I thought it would bother people or make me look weak, but now I’ve realized that identifying my emotions and expressing them the right way actually helps me feel more stable and not explode later.

It is now, through practices such as mindfulness, that I have begun to unravel the complexity of my emotions and understand where they come from. Learning to identify what I feel and why I feel it has been both liberating and challenging. Sometimes I would act out of frustration or sadness without realizing that those emotions were present, because I had never been taught to stop and name them. This lack of emotional education made me feel misunderstood, not only by others, but also by myself.

That is why I deeply value emotional awareness and hope to foster it in others. I believe that by validating children's feelings from an early age, we give them the tools to face life with resilience and self-compassion. My goal is to be the kind of adult who listens without judgment and teaches that emotions are not weaknesses, but important signals that deserve attention. Although I am still working on my own emotional journey, I know that the effort I am making now will not only help me, but will also shape the way I guide those around me.

This practice has enhanced my ability to stay present in everyday situations. I’ve noticed that I am more attuned to my surroundings, more patient in conversations, and more grounded during moments of stress. The awareness I gain through mindfulness doesn’t just stay within the practice itself—it extends into my daily life. Whether I’m walking, eating, or simply breathing, I find myself returning to that mindful state, using it as a tool to navigate life with greater intention and emotional stability.

As I mentioned before, not being emotionally open with ourselves generates confusion, automatic thoughts can be dangerous if we don't know how to handle them, I have started to notice them more lately, I want to do something different and my brain automatically tells me something negative, my anxiety has increased but knowing it I know how to handle it.

In this way, by changing the way we think, CBT helps us regulate our emotions and develop healthier behaviors, ultimately breaking the negative cycles that can contribute to depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem. it is truly impressive the power we gain over ourselves after becoming aware of automatic thoughts.

Another type of unhelpful thinking that affects me is the “should” or “must” thinking. When I think that I “must” do something or that I “should” be accomplishing certain goals, I am filled with guilt if I don't achieve it. That pressure blocks me and I end up procrastinating more, because I no longer do it out of desire, but out of obligation. Instead of motivating me, I get more stressed.

It is also important to understand that these thoughts are normal. Thoughts such as emotional reasoning, labeling, disqualifying the positive or personalization are common, and many times we are very hard on ourselves, especially if we are surrounded by negative people. In addition, social networks do not help: they constantly tell us how we should behave, what to do, what is fashionable or what is no longer fashionable. All of that makes us hold back what we feel, instead of expressing it. That is why learning to recognize these patterns with tools like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is so useful. It allows us to understand that not everything we think is true and that we can change the way we see things to feel better.

I, for example, feel good when I organize my room or finish pending tasks, I feel like I regain control of my environment, even if it's hard to accomplish it, I try to do it. Also, the fact of writing down goals helps a lot to not get frustrated, because they are clearer and more realistic. It made me reflect on how many times it is not that we are “lazy”, but that we do not have clarity about what we want or how to achieve it, this has helped me not to see my procrastination in a negative way so I do not blame myself too much but instead I find a solution to the problem.

It is worth clarifying and adding that aligning our actions with our values not only gives us personal satisfaction, but also improves our interpersonal relationships. When we act consistently with what we really value, we strengthen bonds with those around us.

I also liked that this technique is done little by little, going up in difficulty, and combining it with cognitive skills. It was interesting to me how by practicing this over and over again, the body no longer reacts with fear, it kind of trains itself.

When I had my first panic attack I got scared, I didn't know what I was going through and that affected me much more, I couldn't breathe well so I started to cry, my mom helped to comfort me and 10 minutes or more later I managed to calm down, after that I told my therapist what happened and she helped me a lot to know how to handle it, I just have to accept that the attack comes, but not to give it more power, I just sit on the floor and wait for it to happen, and that makes it happen faster.

I used to have a lot of tics. At one point, I even wondered if I had OCD, but it was never confirmed,or at least my therapist never mentioned anything about it. I would spend days overthinking everything. I had rituals, like touching certain objects. My mind never stopped; I was constantly thinking, all day long, and it was so draining. I still remember the first time my mind went silent—literally no thoughts. It was magical. I didn’t even know that feeling existed.

The best way I can describe my mind is like a constant fast-paced song, being sung by someone who just took nine shots of caffeine,so fast you can't even process the lyrics. There are tons of instruments playing at the same time, but you can’t identify any of them because there’s just too much happening at once. It’s overstimulating. Now imagine turning all of that off. It felt like breathing fresh air

At night, I would get up to touch my door, texture, the lines. I would run each finger across it. Then I’d go to the curtains because I had “forgotten” how they felt. I’d get back in bed, and then get up again to touch the lamp on my desk. Then I’d lie back down, only to get up again and touch it with my other hand. And to balance it out, I had to touch it with both hands at the same time. If I accidentally touched something else, I’d have to go back to the lamp. Then I’d get back in bed and get up again to touch the door, but this time with my nails because the last time I had used my fingertips.

That happened every night, every day. If a thought popped into my head, I had to Google it, because otherwise I felt like I couldn’t fall asleep. It wasn’t as intense as full-blown OCD, where some people feel like they’ll die if they don’t complete their rituals, but I still HAD to do it, otherwise I’d feel extremely uncomfortable. If I bumped into a wall with one shoulder, I had to bump the other one too. Same with my legs.

Honestly, this kind of thing drains so much energy. It made me feel even more neurotic. On one hand, it calmed me—but on the other, it made me feel like I was going crazy. It was so stressful. I literally hated my mind. I cried because all I wanted was to sleep. I’d take two or more hours to fall asleep and was constantly tired. How did I get through it? I don’t remember everything, but I remember forcing myself to. I tried to think about other things little by little and sometimes just made myself stay still. That’s how it went—slowly. I still have some traces of it, but now it’s more manageable.

Another process is self as context, which for me is understanding that you are not your thoughts or emotions, but the space where all of that happens. Then there's connecting with the present moment, which is incredibly important because we often live trapped in the past or anticipating the future. There are also values, which is identifying what really matters to you in life, and finally, committed action, which is acting according to those values, even if it scares you or makes you feel bad. These six processes are interconnected and together help build a meaningful life, even in the face of pain.

I love to apply this in my daily life because it motivates and challenges me. I am a very awkward person with people, I have a hard time initiating conversations or exposing myself in certain social settings. However, one thing I've always been clear about is that I don't want my fears to limit me. That's why, even if it's hard, I often take the plunge.

Also, I think this technique can be applied to many emotions, not just fear. If I am sad and all I want to do is lie in bed, I try to go for a walk or talk to someone. If I feel embarrassed and want to hide, I try to hold my head up and look people in the eye. All of that takes effort, but it has helped me a lot to not get stuck in emotions that don't get me where I want to be. For me, doing the opposite is a way to remind myself that I am in control of how I act, even if I don't have full control over how I feel.

However, when I came to study in Canada, things started to change. I started to live more with my siblings, to get to know each other better, to go out together and spend quality time together. It was in that process that our relationship grew stronger, and for the first time I felt that we had a real connection as siblings. At the same time, the distance from my parents allowed me to value them more. I began to miss them, but not in a sad way, but in a way that made me realize how much I appreciate them. I realized that the conflict we had before was not because of a lack of love, but because we were all at different stages and didn't know how to communicate well.

Today, whenever I feel sad or lost, I feel confident to talk to my parents. I can express what I feel without fear of being judged, and that has been a huge change for me. It makes me very happy to feel close to them, to have an emotional support network that I didn't feel so solid before. Improving this relationship has had a direct impact on my emotional well-being, how I face challenges, and how I see myself.

Listening to other people's problems is fine, but giving you your place is the main thing. Before, I used to lose myself because I valued what the other person said more than what I felt myself. In Apologize, I met people who constantly hurt me, and although they apologized, they never changed. I would wait a long time for them to do so, but the problem was that they did not care enough, and I did not realize it. Later, in Stick, I understood that you should never let yourself be carried away by others. If for me something was wrong, it stayed that way, period. But I didn't even respect my own limits, and that's why others didn't either, because I always gave opportunities for more. And lastly, in Truthful, it's about being straightforward all the time, for both parties.

With time I understood all this, but it certainly took me a while, to be honest.

In this process, the counselor not only listens, but also asks questions that help you dig deeper into the details of what you have experienced. This can be liberating because we are often unaware of how our past experiences influence our current decisions and reactions. When you externalize your history, you begin to take control of it instead of being controlled by the emotions or interpretations you have had over the years. You can identify how certain events have influenced your behavior and begin to understand why you act a certain way in difficult situations.

Al hablar de tu historia, también puedes darte cuenta de los patrones que has seguido sin darte cuenta. A veces, seguimos ciertos pensamientos o comportamientos que ya no nos sirven, pero que se han convertido en parte de nuestra identidad. El proceso de contar tu historia te permite romper con esos patrones y empezar a reescribir tu narrativa, dándole más poder y control sobre tu vida. Es una herramienta que te permite sanar y transformar tu percepción de ti mismo y de tu pasado.

Another example is an ex who was always alone, badmouthing his life. I found it tiring because there are so many beautiful things in life to only focus on the negative. It's like he was stuck in his own sadness, not seeing the opportunities for growth or the good times. That mentality only drags you down, and all it does is perpetuate that feeling of emptiness.

When I went to therapy, it helped me a lot because I used to be too pessimistic before. Mindfulness was key to change that perspective. Sure, I still have bad days, but now I am aware that everything is momentary. I understand that even sadness has its value, because it is a reminder that we are alive and experiencing. Now, when I feel bad, I look back and realize that those moments that seemed endless were not as bad as I thought. It is critical that these topics are taught, especially now that we live in a time where we are constantly comparing ourselves to others, whether in real life or through social media.

This is something I like because it is not to become the problem, the problem is not me and it is not something that belongs to me, it is a moment I am going through. Frankly, before I didn't see much importance in this class, no offense teacher, sorry, but I just thought, well they are just emotions and that's all, but it is really useful and I feel that because of this I can become a more useful adult. I mean, of course, this is applied in therapy, but I also like to apply it in my daily life, and many of the things I learned were also something I did in my daily life. Anyway, I learned too many techniques that I didn't know, but anyway, I really like the idea of not becoming the problem because it leads to too much guilt, emotional baggage and pessimism, and many people don't know the importance of this because not everyone is in touch with their emotions.

I really like that really these issues have a giant impact on people's lives and if only others knew about them, their lives could be less difficult.

Another thing I really liked was the mantras. I had never used one before, but I thought it was beautiful that through the mindfulness activity we did, it’s something I’ve been applying to my life since that class and it helps me a lot. It keeps me in the moment and stops me from overthinking. My mind just goes quiet and I live in the now. It also takes away any guilt I’m feeling in that moment. I use it when I feel embarrassed, which happens a lot. I overthink so much that at first I even felt shy about wearing a scarf. I know it sounds dumb, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what people would say. I felt like everyone would point fingers at me. I know that’s obviously not true, but then I started using the mantra "just live and enjoy the moment." It feels really ambivalent, like life doesn’t matter that much but at the same time, enjoy it and be present. It’s given me more confidence and freedom to be myself.

Thank you, teacher, you’re really appreciated. You’re always so kind and it shows how much effort you put into our classes. 🫶🏼