I struggled with serious depression for many years, and with the help of a great counselor, I have been able to finally overcome it. I really want to help others dealing with mental illness, so I wanted to start a blog to share my mental health tips along with some advice about counseling. I had many misconceptions about counseling that held me back from pursuing it for many years. I thought that I would just go to a counselor and talk about my problems and leave feeling worse than when I went in. After some research, I learned about cognitive behavioral therapy and how it "retrains your brain" to stop triggering negative thoughts that cause depression. I now think more positively without even trying, and I am very grateful for my new outlook on life.