I started seeing a therapist a month ago and today was my fourth visit. I’m wildly impressed by the results so far and excitedly look forward to each visit. San Francisco’s low-income health plan matched me with my therapist after a phone interview. I’m very impressed by how good of a match they made. I’m so grateful that California’s Medicaid covers mental health 100%.

Honestly, I had no idea therapy could be this effective. So far, it’s been on par with the effectiveness I’ve experienced with Byron Katie’s inquiry-based approach to mental health healing. My experience using Byron Katie’s method has awakened my awareness to the images passing through my mind. This has been very helpful in therapy. When the therapist asks me a question, I close my eyes and just watch the movie playing in my mind. It shows me everything I need to witness. I’ve also recently realized that this practice is what the early Quakers referred to as “minding the Light.” My therapist is patient with my process and asks helpful follow-up questions that guide me.

The hours I’ve spent meditating has also proved so helpful. Years ago, before my first meditation course, I had almost no awareness of emotions below my neck. My existence had become so cerebral; I was cut off from my emotional state. Meditation has helped sew my awareness back into my body. I now can watch emotions flash across my torso like the colors splashing across a cuttlefish. Again, as the therapist asks me questions, and as I close my eyes, I watch the images in my mind and feel the emotions in my body.

The breakthroughs and realizations have been transformative. I feel like I’m being drawn together.

Lately my somewhat unorthodox multipronged approach to healing feels increasingly woven together. I’m uncovering the ways inquiry, therapy, Quaker meeting, ayahuasca, and meditation overlap and relate to one another. Like a firm table with many legs, I’m finding a stronger sense of stability.