OLNEY, Md. — The chairman of 'The Tortured Poets Department' knows a thing or two about getting in touch with her emotions.
From rage-filled hits like "Look What You Made Me Do" to heartbreaking ballads like "Bigger than the Whole Sky," there is a Taylor Swift song for every feeling. She puts herself out there and it resonates with her fans.
Laura Goldstein, owner of Montgomery County Counseling Center, recognized the power of Taylor and wants to harness it to help others with a Taylor Swift therapy group.
"I think that the world of mental health needs to come to people in a way that people can absorb it. And for Swifties, that's through the lyrics, Swift themes, Swift Easter eggs. And so I sort of want to bring that to the people in order to make mental health more accessible," says Goldstein.
She is hosting a A Young-ish Adult Therapy Group (taylor’s version) geared toward 24 - 30 year olds. Taylor song titles are launching points to start discussions on everything from relationships to inner strength.
There are 8 weeks of sessions and each has a different theme.
"Each theme has a song title that pulls from it. But it's not so much about the song itself, but representing the theme."
Week 1 is 'Me!' all the way to week 8 which is 'You're on Your Own Kid'
"We'll talk about how Taylor Swift brings up themes for us that can be both really inspiring, and sometimes painful, and how we relate to that. And, how we can pull from her, not just lyrics and music, but also her being and authenticity in order to strengthen ourselves and really finding community within that," says Goldstein.
If the idea of this is intriguing but you aren't ready to fully commit, Goldstein's practice is hosting a free preview on February 13, Galentine's Day.
You can make the friendship bracelets and connect with fellow Swifties, while snacking on Taylor's favorite foods, including her famous chai tea cookies.
This one is free and you can register by clicking here.
Attending Galentine's night doesn't mean you have to join the group. Goldstein says it's a gathering to make friends and have some fun.
If you don't attend the Galentine's event you can still sign up for the therapy group.
"What I hope people get out of the group, I think, a sense of validation that your experiences are not alone. And that there's a lot of commonality in some of the ways in which we experience life, we experience emotions, we experience pain, we experience joy, I think, possibly some skills. So especially in the emotion regulation, some tools for what to do when you're feeling in particular ways."
Goldstein says she's had a lot of interest in this group and would consider doing more sessions, possibly something around Taylor's new album, 'The Tortured Poets Department' coming out on April 19.
