Dear Christian Hill,

            "When  I came stumbling into your office April 2006 I had absolutely no faith in me getting any better and I sure as heck didn’t want to see a shrink. Then I had my first session and everything changed. You never once judged me or didn’t understand what I was saying. You just listened and got to know the me inside of the crazy.  I soon looked forward to coming for my hour long session. I would think about it all day, gathering everything I needed to say.  I came into your office someone who was so far down that some feared she would never come back. You helped me get back my smile, my laugh and now even my tears.

            After I got use to you I moved in the family I like to call group. That was a big step for me and you helped me the whole way. Now I can’t even imagine life without the other groupies.  I can’t imagine life without people that know exactly what it’s like. What its like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can’t. How you hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside. Every single person in group understands that. Thank you for introducing me to a world where being completely myself is ok.

It’s been close to 7 months since I stepped into your office. I’ve never regretted the decision I made to come back week after week. I haven’t always been on top, but every time I began to fall into the deep again you were there. You caught me. It’s been 10 weeks now since the last time I cut myself. I couldn’t have come that far without you being there every step of the way. It’s not even that I haven’t cut for 10 weeks. It’s also that I think I’ve finally let it go. In the process I finally gained back emotion. I know how to cry again. I blame you for that.

You’re not a typical counselor. You take the time to know me completely as an individual. You know what I bring to group and who I will influence there. You can always pick up when I’m a little off. You even know my little OCD ticks.  Not only have you helped me in the journey of a scar free arm, but you have also inspired me to become a teen counselor. I want to be that difference in someone’s life like you have been for me. I’m not afraid of myself anymore. I actually like me now. You didn’t save me; you just taught me how to save myself. For that I am eternally grateful."

                                                            Your Favorite Patient,