“Ms. Crystal, if you’re here seeing people all day, then when do you get to go to the doctor or see a therapist?”

That question came from a five-year-old client.

And honestly, it stopped me in the best way.

What I love most about his question is what wasn’t in it. He didn’t ask if I needed support. He didn’t question whether therapists struggle. He didn’t wonder if I ever felt overwhelmed or needed help sorting through emotions.

He simply assumed that I did.

And then he wondered, very thoughtfully, when I take care of myself.

There’s something deeply honest about the way children see the world. They haven’t yet learned the quiet, unspoken rules adults often carry: that we’re supposed to have it together, that needing help is something to hide, that certain roles (like “therapist”) mean you’ve somehow outgrown your own humanity.

So I told him the truth.

I explained that even though it might seem like I’m here all the time, I do have time in my day to take care of myself, including going to appointments when I need them.

His question stayed with me.

Because it highlights something many of us forget:

We are not meant to do life alone.

Somewhere along the way, many of us begin to believe we’re above needing support. Or that needing help means we’re not strong enough, not capable enough, not “together” enough.

Here’s the reality:

Even therapists need therapists.
Even therapists have moments where emotions feel messy, confusing, or too big to sort through alone.
Even therapists cry.
Even therapists need someone to sit with them, reflect back what they’re feeling, and help them put words to their inner world.
Even therapists can experience poor mental health.

Being a therapist doesn’t make someone immune to being human. If anything, it deepens the awareness of just how important connection, reflection, and support really are.

The truth is, needing support isn’t a weakness; it’s part of being human.

That five-year-old understood something many adults are still learning:
Care is not something we outgrow.
Support is not something reserved for “when things are really bad.”
And no one is meant to carry everything on their own.

So if you’ve been feeling like you should be able to handle it all by yourself, consider this your gentle reminder:

You don’t have to. And you were never meant to.