In any given year, approximately one third of Americans will qualify for a mental health diagnosis (if they were to be asked the right questions by the right provider). It seems more the norm than the exception to find oneself stuck at some point, whether it is from pain, deteriorating health, trauma, anxiety, depression, or relational issues. It can be like finding oneself stuck in a swamp. In treatment, we learn to courageously traverse the swamp through skill development, self-compassion, humor, and the willingness to face difficult experiences. It’s not because we like swamps- it’s just that the only way out of swamps is to walk through them- to where we really want to go.