A misconception about healing is that once you start feeling better, it stays that way. Sometimes we believe that if we’ve worked through something, talked about it, prayed about it, gone to counseling, changed our circumstances and environment, or believe that time heals all, then we should be over it. But healing doesn’t work like that. You can make a lot of progress and still have a day when you don’t feel the best, overwhelmed, anxious, disappointed, or thrown off by something you thought you had got past. This doesn’t mean the progress you previously made is gone.
It’s a journey; it’s a constant in your life that sometimes doesn’t have an ending, just a continuation of progress. There may be days when you feel strong, confident, and at peace, and then something happens that brings a past emotion back to the surface. It’s easy in these moments to feel like “Why am I feeling this way?” Experiencing an emotion again doesn’t mean you’re back to square one. It may mean you’re experiencing a similar emotion in an isolated situation, and because you have had a difficult moment like this before, you have more of an understanding of this emotion than you did before.
Progress is not about never feeling the emotion again but recognizing what you’re feeling and not ignoring it. So, don’t allow one difficult moment to convince you that you haven’t made progress. Give yourself grace. Healing is not something you can rush. The goal is to get to the point where that trigger doesn’t have control over you. Having a setback is not the end; it’s a part of the process. We are all human, so give yourself permission to have hard or bad days.
If you would like to speak to a professional counselor about any pressing issues or other related mental health concerns, our counselors provide a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for individuals seeking guidance and support, so please feel free to contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 167th St., Tinley Park, Illinois 60477. Our facility provides in-person as well as telehealth sessions. We consider it an honor to be of service.
Reference
Cherry, K. (2025). What ‘Healing is not Linear’ Means. Explore Psychology
Christle Jenkins, MA Intern 2016-2027
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