Two weeks ago, I walked the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu—a breathtaking, high-altitude trail through the Peruvian Andes. As a psychotherapist, I didn’t just experience it as a physical adventure. The trek mirrored something much deeper: the emotional landscapes my clients and I navigate in therapy.

On Day 1, we reached 12,467 feet. The altitude hit fast—nausea, headaches, and fatigue. Although I had trained, my body still resisted. It reminded me of how therapy begins: with hope, then discomfort. Vulnerability, like thin air, takes time to get used to.

Day 2 was the most demanding—up to the 15,354-foot pass of Pachacutec. The path was steep, the air thin, and doubt crept in with every step. But just like in therapy, the growth happens in those hard places. Not by pushing harder, but by listening—to the breath, to the body, to what’s needed right now.

By Day 3, we crossed Uchuykasa Pass at 14,435 feet. My body had started to adapt, and I found myself noticing more: the silence between peaks, small bursts of joy, a growing inner stillness. At a glacial lake high in the mountains, the reflection was so clear it seemed to mirror something in me—something strong, steady, and calm.

Coming home, I carry those lessons. Discomfort is not failure. Slowing down is progress. And healing, like hiking, isn’t about speed—it’s about presence and persistence.

To my clients: your journey is just as brave. Keep walking. The view, when it clears, is worth it.