u/Icy-Calligrapher1188

I'm 32, have 5 kids (two of them I have every other weekend as they are my bonus kiddos), own my own business for 11 years, and have never been to college. I am a veteran spouse so with the GI bill, I get schooling for free.

I've been looking at the online art history program to elevate what I do for my career. Also looking to do the Latinx Studies certification and get my social science credits done if I choose to do the MSW program at UW Madison in the future for career security.

Would love to hear any insight on the Art History BA online program as this is my first time doing any higher education past HS and I'm a bit nervous.

Thank you!

If you could provide cost, your experience, etc, that would be amazing!! Thank you 🤍

I think chin lipo only, no neck lift.

Trigger warning : mention of SA

My husband made an appt for a medical massage for himself through the VA and just made an appt for me while he was at it because I've been having some postpartum pain with my back.

We go back to back and I didn't get to talk to him really when he was coming out and I was going in.

She asked what I wanted to work on so I told her about my back issues and tightness in my hip and so on. Normal massage things. And it seemed like that's not what she was really wanting to know so I was already kind of confused. And she started to sort of explain what she does and still it wasn't fully clear.

Then she had me stand so she can my posture and the way I stood. She then asked if I had experienced SA and I told her yes, about 16 years ago. And she said she was sorry and I said "oh it's fine. So long ago" and then she got very serious and got closer and said it wasn't fine and that I don't need to hold that in as if it's fine anymore. I immediately start crying. And thinking "ok... this is a strange start to a massage sesh but here I am" she then talks about having a safety plan in place for after my sessions... I'm still very confused but agreed and that my husband is my safe person and I'll be okay after the session with him.

We get on the table and it was fascia work but still was talking through it all about more traumas. I'm an open book so I really got into it.

I got out and told my husband about my experience because he asked if she got the parts of the back I was struggling with (epidural spot) and I'm like ..??!! Did you not experience what I did?! He said they touched briefly on his PTSD but it was pretty normal massage session and he had zero idea it was somatic bodywork he scheduled us for.

Obviously this was all somatic bodywork.
Which I've always wanted to do as talk therapy felt like it reached its ceiling. But I wanted to do somatic bodywork WITH my talk therapy scheduled soon after if I chose to go that route.

I just was NOT expecting that when I went to the appt this week. Literally thought a normal massage session. I also just wasn't in the mindset for all of that and didn't prepare for any after-care.

I was a shell of myself after... mostly from being taken aback but things were definitely moving through. Sobbed in the kitchen. Couldn't help it. Couldn't really be present with my kids that evening. But yesterday (the day after the session) I felt great honestly... and I do plan to go back but really need to get back into talk therapy to couple with it. But wow... what a ride lmao.

So that said - what else can I expect with these sessions and to better prepare myself??