Michelle Obama reveals she’s in therapy as she enters 'new phase' of her life: 'Let me unwind old habits'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Michelle Obama has opened up about how therapy is helping her adjust to a new chapter in her life.
Now in her 60s, the former first lady says she is navigating life as an empty nester and focusing more on her personal growth.
Michelle Obama reveals therapy has been part of her transition at 61
Michelle Obama, 61, discussed her mental health journey on the April 28 episode of 'The On Purpose With Jay Shetty' podcast.
“At this phase of my life, I’m in therapy right now because I’m transitioning, you know?” Michelle said.
“I’m 60 years old, I’ve finished a really hard thing in my life with my family intact, I’m an empty nester, my girls are in — you know, they’ve been launched!” she continued, referring to her daughters, Malia, 26, and Sasha, 23, whom she shares with former President Barack Obama.
Michelle said her focus has shifted now that her daughters are grown and her time as the first lady is behind her.
“Every choice that I’m making is completely mine,” she said. “I now don’t have the excuse of, ‘Well, my kids need this’ or ‘My husband needs that’ or ‘The country needs that.’”
She admitted the change has been “unsettling” and added, "Let me unwind some old habits. Let me sort through some old guilt that I’ve been carrying around."
"Let me talk about how my relationship with my mother has affected how I think about things," she added, according to People.
Michelle Obama advocates for therapy as essential resource for personal growth
Michelle Obama described how she is using therapy as a way to navigate this new era with clarity and intention.
“So, I’m getting that tune-up for this next phase because I believe this is a whole other phase in life for me,” she said.
“And I now have the wisdom to know — let me go get some coaching while I’m doing it so that I have other voices other than the people who know me best,” she continued.
“I’ve got a new person that’s getting to know me, and seeing me completely new and hearing all these emotions,” Michelle said.
She also expressed her support for therapy as a helpful resource. “I am an advocate of it,” she said. “Everybody needs to find their form of it, the best way they can.”
Michelle Obama shuts down divorce rumors
Michelle Obama is currently promoting her podcast with her brother Craig Robinson, and in her numerous interviews, she’s frequently been asked about her marriage to Barack.
In a May 1 interview on Stephen Bartlett's podcast 'Diary of a CEO', Michelle addressed the rumors directly.
“If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it,” she said.
“The beauty of my husband and our partnership is that neither one of us was ever really, ever going to quit at it, because that’s not who we are. And I know that about him. He knows that about me," she said.
